


Trespass Sweetly Urged

by GooseberryPicker, JD_Riley



Series: Victorian A/B/O [9]
Category: Original Work
Genre: A Very Alpha Beta, Actors, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Autistic Character, Beta/Omega, Crossdressing, Cunnilingus, Drunken Confessions, F/F, Fluff, Lesbian, Lesbian Sex, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mutual Pining, Nonbinary Dynamic Character, Omega Verse, Omegaverse, Romeo and Juliet References, Shakespeare, Shakespeare Quotations, Stage Acting, Taboo, Vaginal Fisting, Victorian, Victorian Omegaverse, a/b/o dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-05-15
Packaged: 2019-10-02 05:49:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 54,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17258696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GooseberryPicker/pseuds/GooseberryPicker, https://archiveofourown.org/users/JD_Riley/pseuds/JD_Riley
Summary: Lady Lottie Wilkerson has found herself in the unenviable circumstance of requiring a sudden escape from marriage-minded gentlemen who seek her father's holdings.  Wary and mistrustful of Alphas, who have often preyed upon her in gardens and ballrooms, she dreads needing an Alpha to fill the role of "protector" until she reaches the safety of a friend's estate. But the handsome leader of a ragtag band of actors quickly teaches Lottie that some Alphas need not protect by hard control, and that not everything is as simple as it seems--and love is never as complex.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> None of you knew this was coming. Happy 2019 and may it be a year filled with lesbian A/B/O fiction.

It had been only days since she had watched the soft, dark dirt pile over their graves and still, it was difficult to believe. That her whole world could be flipped so completely upon its head was a terrible awakening and one that she could not seem to depart from even through dreams. After all, most of her dreams were of them and their kindness and support. Everything she had ever known to be good and protective and supportive even when she was a little hellion racing through the halls and shrieking with fun.

What was fun to her now? It seemed as though it were something so elusive and lost in a mire of dark feelings. Her uncle had come to take care of the funeral and to arrange things with her father's solicitor. She got the feeling that things were not as cut and dry as they could have been though she did not know much about the logistics of death. Solicitors and arrangements were beyond her ken and all she really did was take care to find the lilies and the white roses her mother had loved. She traced their maze of petals as she sat near to the hearth in an out-of-the-way parlor.

“Ottilie?”

She turned her head and stared at her cousin, Wilfred. He was about her own age though he appeared older as his squared jaw was paired with pensive eyes and graying temples that gave him a rather villainous affect—or perhaps that was simply her own overactive imagination. She wasn't quite certain. It wasn't just as though her parents had passed on, the effect itself had the unique and terrible consequence of bringing people into their house who had no business being there...well, that was to say that Lottie didn't think so. Not only this but they couldn't simply call her “ _Lottie_ ” either. Her uncle and Wilfred both were as stiff and unwavering as the solicitors, rifling through papers while their Alpha scents continually burned with annoyance and frustration.

It must have been something to do with her. She knew it had to be. Something to do with her and the money—there was no other reason for her father's kin to have come all the way from Hampshire to Cornwall...they had to be wondering what was going to happen to all the wealth from the estate.

“You're looking rather piqued today, Ottilie. Have you been feeling tired?”

Oh she hated that conjured Alpha protectiveness. It was completely rubbish and well she knew it. Wilfred didn't care a whit about how she was feeling or how she looked. His eyes never changed from their cold half-squint and his mouth never curved upwards into a smile unless it was a pretentious bit of Alpha posturing that forced him to pretend a far greater amount than he was used to. Alphas were far too presumptuous and arrogant and further than that, they _stank._ She tried to hold her breath but couldn't seem to manage it and speak to him politely at the same time. “I've been fairing well considering the circumstances.”

He sat across from her. He must have been on his way out as his hat was perched then atop his knee. “Perhaps some air would do you some good?”

If Lottie was going to look green about the gills, it was going to be whenever she had come back from taking a ride in Wilfred's curricle. Despite the breeze, she would still be next to him and forced to take in the burning hotness of his Alpha stench...it was something she could not abide. “I'm not suffering any illness, cousin, and I don't think I want to go outside. Should I feel the urge, I will find you and let you know.”

“Come now,” he chided her without a smile or even a bit of emotion in his voice, “get your shawl and we'll take a stroll.”

“I said I did not wish to go outside.”

“And I told you to fetch your shawl.” This time there was an edge to his voice and Lottie was almost certain he could have used his _Alpha_ tone upon her. It was something she knew she could not resist as some Omegas were able and so her treading had to be light.

“You know, I think perhaps you're right. I must be quite piqued indeed. I don't think it's air I require, perhaps only a nap. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.” She stood quickly and picked up her skirts to stomp from the room before he could get in a word to halt her. Quickly dashing down the hall, she climbed the stairs and rushed to her room. Whatever in the world had gotten into Wilfred to speak to her as such, she was sure she didn't know. Prior to this he had certainly been presumptuous and cocksure but to practically demand that she was to accompany him outside? Lottie could feel her indignant prickle grow in her belly, lighting a little flame that refused to be extinguished. She gave a little “humpf” sound as she rang the bell for a tea tray to her room and sat near to the window, the scent of more white roses emanating from a vase of them on a nearby table.

Outside, the apple trees swayed in the breeze and clouds occasionally moved over the sun, casting their shadows over the landscape and making the gardener tug down his sleeves to his wrists. She watched him work in the flowers and the weeds, digging up what aught not be there. She wished he could dig up her uncle and Wilfred, the officious Alpha, and dispose of them neatly in a pile of other Alphas who need not bother her. She watched the way he tucked the weeds into a large metal pail and how the dirt clung to their roots. The sun was revealed again and shined down over the green grass and Lottie sniffed as her heart ached.

Why did everything have to be so terribly unfair? How could she be so happy one moment and so devastated the next? It was not as though she could feel terribly for her parents—they were dead, they did not need anyone to feel terribly for them. More than anyone, she felt terrible for herself. Why not? Everyone else did. She put her cheek on the heel of her palm and gave a great sigh just as she heard the door to her room open with the tea tray.

“My Lady,” came the soft voice of her Beta housekeeper, Miss Cambry, “I've brought you your afternoon tea.” She set the tea tray down and then swiped the key to her door from the bedside drawer and locked it in a puzzling move that put a slight shock of ice straight into Lottie's gut.

“Miss Cambry?”

“I'm sorry, my Lady, but we will need some privacy for this difficult conversation.”

Lottie nearly stood before the woman put out a hand to keep her sitting. “Do not be overly alarmed, though this situation does call for some urgency.” She poured Lottie a cup of tea and her hands were shaking only just slightly, her Beta scent clear to Lottie's sensitive nose as one filled with apprehension and grief. After she handed Lottie her cup, she poured another and positioned a chair alongside the Omega's. Taking a distracted sip, she set her cup down upon its saucer and finally addressed her. “You're in some danger, my Lady.”

“Explain,” she blurted, her unceremonious language something the servants were quite used to by now.

“Mr. Trimble, your uncle, has been heard by the staff to be conspiring with your cousin to steal the money that your father has placed in trust for you. Mr. Voluk, the solicitor, has insisted that there is not a penny nor stone of the estate that will leave your hands exempting marriage or...”

“Or?”

“Or should you be...say...committed to an asylum.”

Lottie popped a brow. “Well I'd have to be mad for either of those things to come to pass. How in the world could anyone think that I'm worth marrying?”

Miss Cambry sputtered out a laugh, “My dear, you are worth marrying now that you hold your father's entire wealth and estate.”

She sighed through her nose and took a sip of her tea. “Well I can't well marry my uncle.”

“My dear, he plans for you to marry your _cousin_.”

“Oh...” She frowned. “Well I will simply refuse.”

“It is not so simple to refuse an Alpha, as you should know by now. You know of what they can do with their voices and should he come to you and bite you, you'll be ruined for anyone else even if he has not properly mated you. I know there are tales of those who have risen above such terrible circumstances but we can't all hold out hope that fairy god mothers will come and rescue us for prayer.” She finished her tea. “What we need is a plan.”

“A plan? To do what?”

“To get you away from your cousin long enough to find some help in how to protect your interests and your estate. Now, what about Miss Brewer?”

“Josephine?” She frowned. “Well she's married now to an Alpha up in Durham.”

“Why don't we send you off there for a visit?”

“Well I should write to her...tell her I'm coming.”

She nodded. “Of course you should, let me get your ink.” Miss Cambry rushed about her room, arranging her things and moving her to the small writing desk. She did not hover as Lottie wrote to her friend but scurried about in her closet, picking out traveling gowns and stuffing them into her large trunk which she had fished out of the back of the dressing room. “Are you finished, dear? Not a long note, mind.”

“No...not long at all,” she replied, folding the parchment and sealing it. It was merely a small missive telling her that she was to visit and for what reason she would reveal upon arrival. Since Josephine was a close friend, she no doubt would find the intrigue to be enough entertainment to forgive short notice.

“We will send it without alerting the Alphas and then we shall send _you_.”

“Without telling them?”

“Without telling them,” she confirmed.

Well, she conceded, they really had no business knowing what she was doing whenever she wished to do it. Whomever was her “ruling” Alpha had not been rightly determined by the courts and as such, she was just as much in control of her own destiny as anyone else was at this juncture—and if she wanted to go and see Josephine then she was going to go see her, anyone else be _damned_. Ooh, it felt naughty to think in such a conspiring manner and the spark of _adventure_ began to tingle within her.

She got up and began to gather a few small things. “When shall I be going?”

“Your uncle and your cousin are going to see Mr. Voluk tomorrow morning at eight o'clock as he has to leave for London after their meeting. After their carriage leaves, you'll be leaving in yours. By the time they come back, you will have two hours ahead of them and you won't be going the usual way.”

“Which way will I be going?” she asked curiously.

“You'll be going to the house of my sister. I won't be sending you by your lonesome, you'll need someone to protect you.”

“You don't think Olson can protect me?”

Miss Cambry sputtered another laugh. “The smallest Beta footman I've ever seen? Absolutely not, the boy's barely out of his school clothes. Mark my words, he'll present Omega any day now. No, no, no, I've a niece who'll take you up to Durham and she'll knock out a man's teeth should he come to collect you...that cousin of yours included.”

Lottie giggled darkly, imagining how ruffled Wilfred could be should he have some of his teeth forcibly evicted from his face.

Ready and willing to see how such an adventure should play out, she took her supper in her room and eagerly went to bed that night, nearly unable to sleep a wink for the excitement that she was certain she would see play out in the morning. Eventually, through some coaxing and some counting, she managed to fall into a thin sleep which broke easily with the light of the dawn. Too excited to feel tired, she stayed in her room until Miss Cambry came to speak with her, reiterating that she was to leave as soon as her uncle's carriage was out of sight.

Instead of her morning gown, she donned a sturdy and modest traveling gown with the expectation that she would be leaving straight from her room. There was, of course, a hush that was over the house. Everyone must have known that she was leaving and so she felt as though she could not hear all the usual sounds of life in the mornings. Soon enough her tapping upon the window sill was stilled by the sight of her uncle's carriage ambling down the drive away from the house. Her heart was pounding in her chest.

What would it be like? To go all the way to Josephine's home in the country far up north? What would it be like to travel so far with someone to protect her that she _didn't know?_ She was certain that if she was to be protected by Miss Cambry's niece, the woman was clearly capable and probably just as clever as the housekeeper. There was really only one thing that made Lottie wilt a bit—the prospect of having to be cooped up in a carriage with an _Alpha_. Her nose was far too sensitive for that kind of nonsense and she hoped that the woman would have compassion enough to stop a few times along the road to allow Lottie a bit of time to breathe fresh air. If not, she was certain she would be quite sick. Some Omegas found the burning, acrid scents of Alphas to be very much pleasurable but in Lottie's experience, most were absolutely unbearable.

_“You'll find one you like one day,_ ” she remembered her mother cooing softly beside her bedside. _“There is an Alpha with a mildness that will tame your little picky nose. There is an Alpha for every Omega.”_

Still, even with the wisdom of her mother in her memories, she doubted that she would ever find an Alpha who could tame her nose.

“Lady Lottie!” Came Miss Cambry's voice from the door. “It's time!”

She picked up her skirts and hustled about the footmen who were taking her single trunk to her carriage, following the housekeeper's quick steps down the staircase until she was tapping in her slippers across the marble to the door.

“Your cloak, my Lady,” she told her, tucking it in her arms. “It looks like it may rain today and I'd hate to have you caught unawares.”

“Will you come with me?” Lottie asked, nervousness pooling in her gut.

“Just until we reach my sister's home. I swear to you, she'll already treat you like family for as much as I fawn about you.”

Her cheeks pinkened. “I say, Miss Cambry, you had better be jesting.”

“Of course not!” she clucked, “I swear it on my life, you're like my own kin! How could I stay at the manor if it weren't for your happy little face? Now go on, little one, up in the carriage!” The charming Beta ushered her up into the waiting carriage and followed her, settling easily down and drawing back the window curtains to unpack Lottie's needlepoint from her things. “You're getting much better at this,” she mentioned as she handed it over.

“You really think so?” Lottie asked, her brows knitting over it. She wasn't very good at needlework. Never had been.

“Well...” Miss Cambry sighed. “No...but you do try very hard.”

Lottie poked the needle in. “There really isn't anything I'm particularly good at. Mother said it would get better with practice but that doesn't seem to apply to me, does it?”

“Don't be so hard on yourself, you've got far more to you than how well you can stitch a flower into a pillowcase.”

“Yes. All of my father's wealth and estate, I suppose.”

The Beta barely managed to stifle her amused chuckle, having to cover her mouth with her hand for a moment before she could recover. Opting not to respond, she encouraged Lottie to settle back into the seat as the carriage rolled. “It will only take us two hours to reach my sister's home and then you'll have nothing to be worried about. We will explain your situation to my niece and once you are safe and sound up north, a plan can be made to procure your prolonged protection. Perhaps a decent and kind-hearted Alpha will take you and marry you instead of your nefarious cousin.”

“Perhaps...but I really would rather not...perhaps a kind Beta gentleman...”

“Oh dear, my Lady, you would not wish for that.”

“Why not?”

She made a soft scoff, “Beta men are far too boring for the likes of yourself. Wouldn't you wish for a man who'll make your heart flutter?”

Lottie gave a little frown again but with the way she was poking her embroidery, she was hoping the woman would think it was not directed toward her. “I think I would wish for a man who wouldn't make me wrinkle my nose.”

“My love, everyone will make you wrinkle your nose sometimes. Don't really mean a thing when it comes to convenience.”

“A dreadful thought,” she replied, frowning harder and inspecting the poorly stitched flower. “What is your niece's name, Miss Cambry? And what is she like? Should she be so respectable as you say, perhaps I'll simply seek an Alpha like her.”


	2. Chapter 2

Harriet Reedstrom was lounging in the cozy sitting room with the windows open and sunlight spilling in and filtering through the small amount of brandy in her glass to cause odd golden reflections upon the wooden floor. Her friends were around her trading stories and laughter as was usual for them and they reflected often upon the successes and the failures of their most recent theatrical pursuit.

“Well,” stated Thurston loudly, “I think we've done quite well for ourselves despite the playhouse here being as small as it is. I do believe we had near the whole town in to see us despite that they're far too provincial to truly understand the nuances of Shakespeare. I'm impressed that we were able to get as many of the locals into roles as we did. Else we would have been playing more characters than we could handle. That one cannot split themselves into equal parts is such a shame when it comes to theater.” He took a hearty swallow of his brandy and eased back into the comfy chair that cradled his tiny Omega form. A sly foxy-looking fellow, he was recognizable for his arched brows, severe nose, cunning gray eyes, and the fact that he was the only of them who was not a Beta. Not a man one wished to cross for his ability to sneak into locked houses at night, he oft played villains and held a rather dim view of audiences.

As far as Harriet was concerned, she thought it had been a wildly successful venture. They'd made plenty of money in her parents' hometown and it had become something of a vacation for her, if she had to be honest. It was difficult to find work in London and their troupe's morale had dipped rather low. A successful play in the country was far better than a dismal failure in the capital. Even if the playhouse was merely an extension of the town's watering hole.

Ciri lifted her glass. “We should not be so successful without the brilliance of _Rhet Reed_.” She toasted toward Harriet, gleefully utilizing her stage name as a testament to Harriet's fantastic ability to remove herself from...well... _herself._ “Without the lead role and the careful direction, it would be difficult upon any stage but on one so minimalistic, it was really Harriet who's characterization made the whole thing come off so well.”

“That is true,” Thurston agreed, “there has not been a moment in recent past that your portrayals have felt wooden at all, Harriet. It's been nothing but the best from you.”

“Here here,” croaked Aiden Grimsborn, the eldest of their troupe, who lifted his glass as well. “Harriet's been a force to be reckoned with. I daresay that there ain't no Alpha alive who could fill any role better. When we've made it to Bristol and the blokes at Ware Gardens see what you can do with a role, they'll see what we've all seen for such a long time now—there's no one who'll play Romeo better.”

Harriet could feel her cheeks heating with blood. The most prominent Bristol theatre had sent out casting calls to the farthest corners for their big production of _Romeo and Juliet_. Auditions were upcoming and that was where the troupe would go next. They would try their hand to fulfill another step toward the bigger and better stages of London and one day, perhaps, they could count themselves among those who graced the stages of grand playhouses with glittering chandeliers and velvet seats. Places that had angels carved into marble and stone. Towering behemoths that loomed along city streets and held within their depths the secrets of illusion and emotion. She gave a mock bow and took a step forward.

“I hope to count you, my friends, among me. It is far too early to count our chickens. There are certainly better actors than I.”

“Do not even suggest it,” quipped Preston, who faded in from the shadows. “you've all the presence needed and to speak of yourself in such a manner is to provide a chink in your armor. You're the perfect addition to any cast and should you be convincing enough to them, you must first convince yourself. I've not known you to be bashful before and I hardly wish you would start now.”

“Here here,” mumbled Aiden.

She gave a slight pause and pulled in a breath through her nose, scenting her own familiar aroma, strong with pheromones. Her heart swelled. “You're right. You're all right.” She straightened her back and clasped her hands behind her, rocking on her feet. “I've the abilities and the confidence and to Bristol we shall go. I trust that I will be able to count upon my closest friends to audition against me to be certain not to allow my pride to become unmanageable.”

Though she spoke often in jest of her supposed “pride,” it was not often that she was able to separate fully from the guise she had undertaken for the sake of her comfort and career. It had been only too easy with her somewhat tall stature and strong shoulders to apply false scent and truly _live_ as an Alpha. The fact that the spicy, oak-like scent could only shift via her own mild Beta undertone didn't seem to register to folks—they merely thought her a calm and collected sort of Alpha—a good actress...nay, a _great_ one. It was a boon, to have the directors and producers of shows clamoring over themselves to make her audition for their roles. It was difficult, after all, to find an Alpha who could give a convincing performance and not accidentally send half of the audience into an _Alpha_ voice tizzy. Harriet, or rather, _Rhet Reed_ , was rather proficient at artificially recreating the _Alpha_ voice without all the nonsense of placing Omegas in a panic.

Of course, the only people who knew that she was a Beta were her family and those who stood in this room with her. It was not a closely-guarded secret though it was not information that she willingly offered without reason. It was convenient, most times, to be thought of in such a manner. She was a natural leader, strong and sure of mind. There was no reason that she couldn't have presented as an Alpha and it was nothing anyone found unusual about her.

Preston, close to the window, peered out with a queer expression on his face.

“What is it boy?” Aiden grumbled, his glass to his lips.

“Oh...I think it's nothing but...I cannot know for certain. There is quite the regal-looking coach coming along the path and it seems as though it looms.”

Thurston gave a sigh which ended in an exasperated scoff, “Oh no. Not this. I swear to you this man must have some kind of psychic power. Was your grandmother a witch? I know I've asked this before but perhaps you've been thinking I meant one grandmother when I meant another.”

Preston frowned. “I swear to you, again and again, I've no witchery in my blood.”

“Then why must you always get bad feelings and then bad things happen?”

Ciri quipped back at at the Omega, “It is not always bad things and they're not always bad feelings. Remember that one day when we were all practically begging for scraps and he woke from his nap in such a wonderful mood?”

“Oh yes,” Thurston replied saucily, “and he knew exactly where that missing baron was—he _saw it in a dream._ ”

Ciri beamed at Preston who was still staring out the window. “Yes. We didn't starve to death did we? Got a might fine reward. It's a wonder we're still in acting. We should have become detectives.”

Aiden chuckled but moved to the window to peer out, prompting Thurston to get out of his seat and crowd about the window with them, his scent annoyed and curious.

When Harriet finally moved forward, the troupe made way for her—as though she were their Alpha—and she sipped her brandy. It truly was a brilliant coach and it came slowly down the lane, the carriage horses with their heads high and their coats a gleaming sable which matched the shining lacquer. A coach like that must have belonged to a family of some import, no doubt, and what it was doing in such a small town, Harriet could not begin to guess. Of course, when it rolled to a stop just outside the house, her befuddlement was complete.

“ _Harriet?!_ ” her mother screeched from the other room, bumbling into the sitting room to find them all crowded about the window. “Quick! Pick up the laundry, hide everything messy! Straighten the pillows! The rugs! Put away those books! For god's sake everyone, act natural!”

For their part, they simply traded stares with each other and continued drinking, calmly moving about the room and sitting again while Mrs. Reedstrom rushed about doing everything she'd screamed at them to do anyway. It was sometimes the easiest to simply allow her to chug on like the good soldier she was rather than get in the way. It wasn't often that the rich deigned to make themselves known in such a provincial neighborhood but to actors who often played the role of pompous wool-headed buffoons, they were nothing to get ruffled over.

In the middle of her mother stuffing a wad of ribbons into a basket, there was a knock upon the door and she nearly screamed, her nervous Beta scent wafting mildly through the room in a haze not unlike the bitter rind of a lemon. “A'right, nobody panic. Everythin' is perfectly fine!” Frazzled and tucking stray bits of her hair beneath the kerchief on her head, she didn't even approach the door, only staring at it anxiously.

“Everything _is_ perfectly fine, mother, open the door,” Harriet told her, forcing her voice to sound as bored as possible. All of this fuss and it was only some wealthy feather-brain probably. What they could possibly doing here was beyond Harriet's ken. It wasn't as though the family had any debts that could be owed. She refused to be flustered and that in itself was enough to make her mother fall into even more of a tizzy.

It was her aunt Vivi at the door, raucous as usual, which made Harriet lean forward a bit in confusion. Merely because one worked in the house of wealthy Alphas and Omegas did not mean that such employers allowed use of their nice coach. Harriet then heard her own name through the racket of their reunion.

_Oh joy._

Vivi bustled into the room, looking more like she owned the place than Harriet's own mother did, her back straight and her eyes glittering with purpose. “Just who I wished to see. My beautiful, loving, _wonderful_ niece.” Behind her was the unimposing form of a small, shy-looking little bird whose simple coiffure and uncomplicated black traveling gown implied that she was both in mourning and meant to _blend in_ rather than stand out—something odd for a wealthy young Omega.

Wary of the compliments, Harriet frowned, crossing her legs. “You need something, don't you?”

“From you? Of course. Every time I see you it seems as though I'm asking something of you. 'Harriet, could you get this down for me? Harriet, could you find a courier for my letter? Harriet, could you bring this package to my friend?'” she mocked. “It never ends does it? But you do it because you love me.”

“I do it because I'm not an ass,” she replied dryly. “I assume that now this has something to do with this beautiful creature you've brought with you?” She stood, rising to her feet in a fluid gesture that included leaving her brandy on the side table. As the Omega, now addressed, finally entered the room after having been coaxed by Vivi, Harriet gave her a distinguished bow and offered her hand. The Omega hesitated for only a second before she gave Harriet her hand and allowed the backs of her fingers to be kissed but it was enough of a pause that it was obvious she had a severe mistrust of strangers—or Alphas. It was the kind of small expression of emotion that actors were trained to notice and emulate when it counted. Here, there was no stage and this Omega was no actress. “Please,” she tried in a low, mild tone that held none of the natural Alpha edge many Omegas were used to, “do not fear me. I'm Harriet.”

Vivi replied for her. “This is Lady Ottilie Wilkerson. Her father was the Earl of Bainbridge.”

“Oh. I'm sorry for your loss, my Lady.”

Her response was a meek and soft “Thank you.” while her eyes shifted to the floor.

Vivi, boisterous for a Beta, huffed onward. “Lady Lottie needs an escort and the requirement is urgent. With the death of her father, the estate is left to whomever can marry her. This means that I need someone I can trust to take her to Durham to seek asylum with her friend there, _away_ from those who would seek her hand.”

Harriet gave her aunt a cool gaze. “So I am to abscond with a wayward Omega heiress to save her from a forced bond? That's what you're asking?”

Vivi smiled, smug. “Yes. That is what I'm asking.”

Harriet looked back at the troupe of actors who were all very gently nodding toward her, save Thurston who seemed utterly disinterested. When she turned her stare back around toward Lady Lottie, she asked, “And you, my Lady? What do you think of this?”

“I...I should like to be rescued. I am here of my own volition.”

“Rescued,” Harriet mused. “Well alright then. I suppose I will simply have to take the little one to Durham.” She placed her hands on her hips. “Though if you're uncomfortable traveling with me, we'll have the company of my friends.”

The Omega seemed shocked to know that Harriet had sensed her hesitancy. “I erm...I am certain that with time...”

Preston's mild voice piped up. “Don't fret, little one. She's hardly got the _tools_ to work with despite having the _permits_ in order.” A light pattern of chuckles swept the room and the Omega appeared distinctly confused.

Ciri, through her giggles, tried her hand. “You shouldn't worry about Harriet, she can't _bash any candles_ , if I may be so crude.” At Harriet's small glare, she stuck out the tip of her tongue.

The Beta in question popped a hip and grinned down at the Omega. “I assure you, the Alpha is merely the puppet and the soul mine.” It was still clear from the blank expression on Lady Lottie's face that she was profoundly perplexed.

Vivi put a soft hand on Lady Lottie's arm. “Dearest, Harriet's only jesting with you. Her secret is that she's not _really_ an Alpha. These friends of hers are a troupe of _actors._ ”

Lady Lottie took a shocked step backward, her gaze raking over Harriet up and then down again, searching for truth in her form and her eyes. Her little nostrils flared, searching for anything that would hint that her senses had failed her. Even with her nose working like a bunny, her brows furrowed mightily and she shook her head. “Um...no.”

“No?” Aiden asked into the silent room. The pause reached around with its squeezing, blackened arms into a heavy quietude like a pall over the room.

Ciri spoke in a hushed tone. “I think she means that she doesn't believe it. It _is_ rather difficult to tell, if I'm to be honest.”

“Happy to tell you,” Harriet smiled, “that it's true. I'm not an Alpha and sometimes I thank goodness that I'm not. One of those times is now, as I would hate to cause you any discomfort as I escort you to your destination.”

“No.”

Harriet's brows knitted and she tilted her head slightly. “No?”

Vivi balked. “No?”

Lady Lottie was still staring at her, unblinkingly. “I...you have to be an Alpha. You look like one. You smell like one. Why would you lie?”

She licked her lips. “Well, little one...it makes me more intimidating. And it makes it easier for me to find a director who will allow me to play Romeo or Lady Macbeth. I doubt that my aunt would allow you to be escorted from willful Alphas by someone she didn't think was capable and me?” She gave a winning grin. “I'm more than enough against an Alpha.”

Lady Lottie stared at her, still obviously puzzled. “I don't think so. I have a very sensitive nose. I should be able to smell it.”

Harriet arched a brow, irked. “You've a peculiar manner for the daughter of an Earl. I propose then that you satisfy your curiosity. I won't be offended. If I'm an Alpha I should, at the very least, have been gifted with a rather obvious accoutrement. If you can find it, I'll cease my pretending and live honestly as an Alpha the rest of my days.”

Vivi made a little gasp. “ _Harriet,_ that's terribly lewd, you can't make the girl grope your nethers right here and now—”

A tiny hand reached out and, without any guile or falsity, the Omega very brusquely examined her, much to the amusement of the troupe, of course. Even Thurston sat up with interest, his wide eyes fixed excitedly upon the goings-on. After a moment, Lady Lottie withdrew her hand and, without any flush in her cheeks or embarrassment what-so-ever, she nodded lightly. “That is one aspect I'll accept. How have you done it with your scent?”

Undaunted, Harriet smiled down at the audacious little Omega, her hands still upon her hips. “It is a false scent. A habit of mine. Are you satisfied that I am to your liking now that you've scandalized the room?”

Lady Lottie peered about at all of the interested faces and then moved her gaze back to her. “Have I?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I Live for Lottie.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who's shown interest in this story, you'll be glad to know that this story will have a firm update schedule. Thank you for all your lovely comments, they have really put a smile on my face!


	3. Chapter 3

It was almost as if she was back in London with how all of these souls were staring at her how they were. She was terrible at knowing just when she wasn't supposed to be doing whatever it was that she was doing and this seemed to be one of those times. She'd been told, after all, to find that which made Harriet an Alpha so she had certainly done her best to try. That she hadn't found one didn't bother her at all though it was rather confusing based on the scent of the woman—she most certainly _smelled_ the part. For that matter, she most certainly _looked_ the part as well. She was tall, lithe in a muscular way, and held herself with a distinctive poise that was characteristic of most Alphas Lottie had met in her life. Most of the time, her dealings with those Alphas did _not_ go in a particularly pleasant manner.

_But she's a Beta?_

Lottie stared at her, subtly recognizing that she'd done something wrong but not quite understanding what that thing was. Her scent was giving away her blatant confusion and she was prepared for the room to begin laughing at her. From past experience, that was usually what happened whenever someone pointed out that she was being inappropriate. She braced for it, her brows furrowing and her shoulders coming up to shield her.

Harriet put her hands out to her sides, palms up. “No need to be vexed, little one. It is my fault for having tricked you and you've done no wrong for having taken me up upon my offer.”

“Then you are not all scandalized?” she asked, refusing to look at any of the faces which stared at her.

A lovely young Beta girl from the side chimed in again, her voice light and airy. “Of—Of course not. Right, everyone? It takes far more than that to scandalize a room full of actors, doesn't it?”

“Oh yes,” the lone Omega crooned while his mouth softened into a sly grin. “ _Far_ more. I think taking you along for the ride will be quite the entertainment, truly.”

Lottie withdrew a bit into herself, taking a physical step backward. “I have served to entertain Alphas in ballrooms before and I did not like it any. I do not wish to be the source for your comedy should it be at my expense.”

Harriet turned her head about and cast a dark look toward the offending Omega. “We will not be forcing the poor girl to entertain us in any fashion.” She turned back around. “I suppose, little damsel, that we shall be leaving directly as Durham is quite far and I suppose you must be there quickly.”

Lottie fiddled with the tips of her fingers. “Our speed of travel does not much matter to me...”

Miss Cambry broke in. “She must go as soon as possible. I know that your carriage has room for her and she cannot take hers as it is far too recognizable. I'm certain you understand. The lot of you had better get your things packed if you'll be going as well.”

An older Beta coughed. “We are already packed and ready. We can move her things to the carriage and we will go immediately if we must. I suppose there are some travel accommodations that the little lady would prefer?”

She shook her head shyly.

“Well then,” Harriet said, clearing her throat, “that's settled.” She gave another polite bow toward Lottie and her smile was warm. “If you don't mind, we've simply got to stop in Bristol for a spell to let these fools earn their keep somehow and then you and I can continue on together.”

Lottie almost had, on the tip of her tongue, some argument of how she could not possibly go to Durham without a chaperone but her brain stepped in at the last moment when her lips had opened to remind her that only moments ago she had discovered that the Alpha before her was not actually an Alpha. This was going to take some getting used to, she thought sourly as her lips buttoned again. It was particularly vexing to have such a confused woman be her escort and the why of it was still the foremost question in her mind.

When the lot of them moved outside and they were relatively all lined up, Harriet made the introductions. “My Lady, this is Aiden, Preston, Ciri, and Thurston.” She ended with the only Omega who stared at Lottie with a strange glint in his eyes that she couldn't place. She had known far more Omegas in her life than any other dynamic and still she found herself having a difficult time parsing out their scents and the meanings of certain smells. Thurston was more a puzzle than any of them had ever been, consciously keeping his scent flat and without any sort of strong emotion whatsoever. Even if she had been fully capable of reading scent like other Omegas could, she would have had a difficult time with this one. “Don't mind Thurston,” Harriet went on, “he's a bit of a twiddle-poop and fancies himself. Don't give him a mirror, he'll never look up again.”

Thurston glared at the insolent Harriet and grumbled a bit before he climbed into the carriage and settled himself in.

Lottie sidled closer to the Alpha—Beta—and couldn't explain to herself why she had done it. “Am I to call you Alpha when I speak to you?”

“You can call me Harriet if you wish, though most of them call me Rhet. Are you warm enough, little one? The breeze can be chilly if it comes in from the west.”

“ _Rhet,_ ” she murmured, chewing her bottom lip and feeling her heart beat a little harder. “Uhm...I am warm enough. Thank you.” The three others were chatting amiably while Harriet put her trunk with the rest of their luggage and Lottie did not know quite where to be. Miss Cambry was chatting with her sister for a little while and when she came to Lottie again, she was grinning.

“You'll be in good hands, my Lady. Ain't no Alpha can best my Harriet, that's for certain.”

“But she's a _Beta._ ” Her brows were knit tight.

Harriet was finished with her small chore and turned to face the two of them, her fists to her hips. “More to bein' an Alpha than just strength, little Lady. It's a...” she thought for a minute. “It's a _presence._ ”

“I don't understand.”

“Ehn.” She shrugged. “One day perhaps you will.” She offered her arm. “My Lady?”

Tentatively, she reached out and took the offered arm, allowing the woman to help her into the carriage where she sat across from Thurston who was studying a small bit of parchment by the light from the carriage window. She openly examined him, curious as to the object of his study.

His eyes flicked up to her and then down again and he folded the parchment, stashing it in a small oilcloth pouch he kept tied to his belt so that it might not be dampened by rain. He did not offer to her what it was, choosing to ignore her as the others filed their way in and took their seats save Preston who drove. It was Thurston and Lottie's scents that were the most powerful of the group until Harriet came in last and the scent of her somewhat attractive and spicy Alpha musk battled for dominance against the sweet and the floral.

Lottie, small as she was, found herself to have ample space and was in no way cramped by the accommodations, pleased to be near to the window. In addition to being across from the admittedly handsome Omega, she was next to the obviously female Beta who smiled at her cheerily and immediately began to chat, her scent lovely and reminiscent of earth and babbling streams. It and her soft voice had the effect of forcing a strange calm over her.

“You must be so excited to have an adventure, such as it is. I imagine that Omegas in your position so rarely have a chance to create their own destinies. I'm certain you do not wish to reflect on the circumstances behind it but the future perhaps. How bold you must be.”

Thurston finally piped up. “I believe we have just bore witness to her boldness only minutes ago, Ciri.”

She shot him a reproachful glance and continued. “How do you feel about all of this, my Lady? You must be giddy.”

Lottie took stock of her feelings and was willing to concede. “Yes...I suppose I am. It is quite rare for me to find myself so far out of my normal routine.” She thought and then mimicked what her mother used to say about her so eloquently. “You must understand, it is only a bit of stress that is most unusual.” It wasn't a lie, her mother often told her. It was, most certainly, the truth of the matter. It was simply easier than telling everyone that she behaved oddly because she was, in most ways, _odd._

 _And that is not unfortunate in the slightest,_ her mother's voice reminded her. She could remember her, soft and giving and still with a subtle power. Her back straight as she sat at her vanity and contemplated her reflection while Miss Cambry had brushed her hair...

Lottie blinked, willing away the memory.

Ciri was nodding sagely. “Of course, anyone could understand that. You have been whisked away and into the lives of lowly actors, this must be so new to you. I swear to you, my Lady, though we may act savagely, it is not the commonality of the poorer classes.”

Harriet interjected. “Ciri, we do not act savagely. Quit making the poor girl nervous.”

“Here here,” Aiden mumbled, lifting a flask from the inside pocket of his coat as the carriage began to roll.

Ciri rolled her eyes. “Tell me, my Lady, are you proficient with most things? That is, you haven't brought a lady's maid and I thought that it was customary to have one wherever one wished to go?”

She was prepared for this one. “Oh. Well, you see, when I left this morning, it was prudent to leave much behind as the suggestion was that I was to come back soon so that my uncle and my cousin would not miss me.”

“So your _uncle_ is the villain?”

She paused a moment, having the thought be quite new. “Well...I hadn't truly thought him a _villain_ but I suppose the answer to that is yes. And he's not truly my uncle...he is more like a cousin of my father's.”

“Has he the title?”

Lottie was suddenly aware again that everyone was looking at her. “Uhm...well yes. I understand his claim is somewhat contested...something of his legitimacy in question...”

“How dramatic!” Ciri gasped. “And he wishes to marry you?”

“I believe he wishes his son to marry me. Wilfred.”

“ _Wilfred._ What a cunning and devious name for a dastardly man. Tell me, my Lady, is he an Alpha?”

“He is.”

“How evil does he look? Strong-jawed? Golden-eyed? Is he overly tall and slim? Pale and blonde? His scent, is it hideous and burning?”

Harriet's cool, deep feminine voice sounded from the other side of the carriage. “Ciri...”

“Oh alright, you fun-spoiler. I need to know these things. I love villains and imagining how decadently evil they can be.” She sat back, huffing a bit and asking no more questions. A silence fell over them and they all let it stay, at least until an hour or so had gone by and then Ciri piped up again. “I say, I forgot to relieve myself before we went off into the countryside. Do you think us near a town?”

Aiden tapped his walking stick against the sliding window behind him and then waited until it slid back and Preston asked him what was the matter. “Queen Ciri needs a powder room.”

“Well she can damned well have a nice thatch of weeds if she damned well has to go badly enough. We're in the middle of the sticks.”

Lottie could feel her cheeks heating at the frank discussion but in fact would have liked to have relieved herself as well.

Ciri leaned forward, her voice louder so that Preston could hear her. “I believe I shall find a thatch of weeds quite lovely, such is my desperation. Could you stop for us, Preston dear?” She looked around. “Anyone else have to go?”

Thurston eyed Lottie. “Perhaps her Ladyship might wish to sully her little boots and the edges of her gown with us lowborn commoners, pissing in the dirt.”

She gulped. How one could relieve themselves in the middle of the wilderness—what a complex arrangement. It seemed almost impossible considering her undergarments and the fact that, yes, her hems would most certainly get in the way. Though, she thought rather blankly, she did have to go and did she very much care about her hems when it came down to it? What of her stockings? What were to happen if the stream attached itself to her thigh? How embarrassing would it be to be trapped in the carriage until they reached Bristol with a soiled stocking or chemise or gown? It would not do, she thought.

_But now that I am thinking about it fully, I really do need to go._

She swallowed again, frantically thinking as the carriage slowed. “Uhm...I um...if it would not be too much trouble, I would...um...”

Ciri smiled. “You'll come? Oh fantastic.”

Thurston's eyes narrowed. “You'll manage it? In the wilderness? Now there's something I've not heard of before in my life. A properly Lady having the gall to wander out into the wilds to be as human as the rest of us. I suppose there are splits in your drawers then?”

Lottie knew she was as red as a boiled beet at the lewd language and she dared not look directly at the sassy Omega who teased her. She ignored him and could not look at him, even any part of him. When the door was opened, she was hurried out by Ciri and the other woman led her off into the meadow a small way and Lottie studied her method intently, hoping to glean what she could to perform the matter at hand.

“You see,” Ciri said as she hunkered down and collected her skirts, “the trick is not to wear any drawers.”

“Not to wear any—oh grace!”

“Pardon me, my Lady, I hate to seem rude but you are staring.”

“I haven't got any idea what I'm doing!” she whispered urgently.

Ciri giggled. “Well then, was Thurston right? You've a slit in your drawers right?”

“Of course!”

“Alright then, well just squat yourself right down, gather up your skirts like so and make certain to go slow so as you don't get your boots splashed!”

“I don't quite think it shall be so simple!”

Ciri wasn't listening anymore, focusing intently with her brows furrowed and her little pink tongue sticking out the side of her mouth while a gentle trickle sounded under her skirts. Lottie felt as though she should have been fair scandalized.

Finally, she couldn't handle it anymore and she marched off, uncertain but determined. She gathered her skirts as she thought she had seen Ciri do and made sure to herself with a good look around that none were in the way before she squatted herself down and reached beneath herself to keep her drawers open. She wasn't certain how far she could get her feet from her as to keep herself balanced but she seemed to manage it alright. Of course, willing herself to _make water_ in the middle of the wilderness was a whole different obstacle and try as she might, she could not seem to settle enough to make it occur!

“My Lady?” Ciri asked from a distance. “Are you doing alright?”

“I'm too embarrassed to do it!” she admitted, her throat tight. Everyone would think her ridiculous for having been unable to do it, she thought glumly, still squatted down. The tall grasses were tickling her bottom and the smell of honeysuckle nearby was going to eventually make her sneeze. What a terrible moment, she thought. If only Thurston hadn't teased her so badly, she wouldn't have felt as though she needed to prove herself! If only she weren't _actually_ ridiculous.

“You know what always gets me out of my head when I need it?” Ciri replied in a very conversational tone, “ _Our Country Girls._ It's not a very pleasant little song but it certainly whittles away at whatever's bothering me. Do you know that one?”

“N-No...” She felt her frustrations mingling with a small amount of confusion. What in the world could this strange girl be on about?

Ciri's voice was clear and she sang the lively little ditty without a care.

 _Up in the early morning,_  
_Just at the peep of day,_  
_Straining the milk in the dairy,_  
_Turning the cows away._  
_Sweeping the floor in the kitchen,_  
_Making the beds up stairs,_  
_Washing the breakfast dishes,_  
_Dusting the parlor chairs._

It was just before the chorus that Lottie found herself suddenly able to let go of her anxiety and relieve herself, focusing then on keeping it slow as not to splash her little boots.

 _Sweeping the floor in the kitchen,_  
_Making the beds up stairs,_  
_Washing the breakfast dishes,_  
_Dusting the parlor chairs._

At the end of what must have been the chorus, Lottie stood up, sighing and tip-toeing away from the puddle she'd made before she shook out her skirts and turned to the Beta girl who was beaming at her from a few steps away.

“Brilliant!” Ciri grinned. “I knew it would work. It always does. And now you can tell that naughty little Thurston that you've really roughed it out here, can't you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't punch Thurston in the face quite yet. Maybe just flick him on the nose.


	4. Chapter 4

Harriet spread out her legs a bit in the carriage and cast a severe glower upon Thurston. “You didn't have to tease her so.”

“Didn't I? I don't trust anyone who can't piss like an animal. If she really has, then I suppose she'll do. It's a good standard to have, Rhet, and don't you forget it. Any person who's got it in their head that there ain't decency to be had even when you're at heart a wildling isn't any I'd wish to meet.”

“Is this because you're a downright madman or because it's sound logic?” Harriet examined her short nails and frowned. “I can't tell anymore.”

“Perhaps you can't tell because you're a madman yourself.”

She grinned, amused by his quips as she often was. She commonly thought that Thurston was angered by her—that she was _not_ an Alpha. She had often awoke in the mess of tangled limbs that came from close quarters to find him flush against her, snuggled close and nearly intimately. Her false Alpha scent had vexed him during his heats and, despite having not a single iota of a true Alpha's experience, she had to remove herself from his presence. He had never argued it though she could tell that it harmed him somehow—through his soft and swift jabs of humor. Sometimes he could pierce her with words but most times he was merely venting his steam and she, careless, was oft in danger of the burn. Harriet murmured back at him, casting a bemused glance to Aiden who narrowed his eyes in warning. “Do you think me a madman, Omega?”

“I think you capable of having become so, yes. Who among us isn't a madman? Ciri is tossing about with her head filled with clouds, Preston's about having dreams of lost barons, Aiden can't remember what he's eaten for breakfast, you're running about in trousers playing hero and _I_ haven't run screaming off to Bedlam for having been dragged along with you!”

“And pray tell me, what could send you to Bedlam?”

“I think you know very well what!” he snapped, crossing his arms with a sulking manner that was difficult to ignore.

“Alright,” Harriet conceded in a soft, mild tone. “And what of Lady Lottie? How do you feel of her? Is she a madwoman?”

“Has she pissed?”

As if he conjured her, the door to the coach opened slowly and Ciri passed the little one's hand to Harriet who dutifully aided her in entering the coach. When they were all settled, Harriet made certain to lean forward, her eyes focused upon the Omega's form.

“Is it done then? You're both alright until we stop again?”

Lady Lottie nodded, her cheeks still pinkened in an attractive fashion.

Ciri gloated toward Thurston, shimmying her shoulders and fluffing her skirts. “And nary a drop on our boots. How's that?”

Harriet couldn't help but pass a smug and knowing glance to the disheveled little male who clearly had not expected Lottie to have been capable of the feat. His lack of faith in her was merely due to his constant misgivings over anyone with pools of disposable income—a sordid past with such folk, no doubt—and here he was having been forced to brand a woman of high breeding with the ever-coveted label of _mad_.

She leaned back along the bench and felt the coach lurch forward as Preston urged the horses onward. With her eyes closed, she conjured the beautiful visage of Lady Lottie in her mind's eye, fascinated for the luster of her hair and the shine in her eyes. Having thought that she might present as an Alpha in her youth, she had not bothered to shy her gaze from those of the fairer sex and this, of course, is what it had come down to—fantasy. Lady Lottie was for certain the exact sort of Omega that her youthful fancies would have admired as a paragon of beauty and grace. She walked with a short slippered step very delicately as though she were silently creeping through great halls of marble and alabaster with huge portraits of her ancestry draping the walls. She spoke with a careful enunciation that came with an expensive and _extensive_ education. Her hands were small and white and lithe with fine muscles that had never known something as grueling as true labor and her nails were perfectly sharp and clean. It was how every Omega should have been formed and kept, Harriet thought.

Of course, such fancies and fantasies could never bring her even near to one of these elusive little beasts as she had, in the end, remained a Beta. And oh, woe is she for her misfortune. She opened her eyes and stared outside at the passing countryside. There was nothing quite so disappointing as having missed that chance to become exactly what one had expected. Wearing male-oriented clothes and cutting her hair and diving head-first into the theater had taken her into roles that simply fit her far better than who she really was—Harriet. A Beta. A woman who could not, for any intent or purpose, find herself somewhere that she honestly belonged. Those who knew her a Beta would denounce her for her dress and her conduct. Those who knew her as an Alpha would look on in confusion when she showed the barest hints of feminine vulnerability.

So great was this disconnect that it was difficult for her to understand whether or not _real_ Alpha women faced this sort of issue as well—their Alpha nature versus their feminine power...could it not be so? Unfortunately, those powerful and enigmatic women did not often share such ideas and thoughts with each other and so Harriet was alone in this pondering. It was a state that she was used to despite having no affinity for it in the least.

Still, being an Alpha was easier. Especially in the theater. It was rare to find an Alpha of even keel and harmonious emotion so when she was revealed to the stage, it was nearly predetermined that she would have some sort of part to play, even if it was not the lead. Perhaps, she thought to herself, it would come to be that one day she would find a mate that would not mind so much that she was not what she aught to be. Perhaps one day she would find a kindhearted Beta man who would keep his mind open to her quirks and her foibles. Perhaps a Beta man who had oft thought he should have become an Omega? Those sort were about sometimes.

She sighed.

Lady Lottie's big, limpid eyes and wandering gaze flashed back into her memory and her mouth quirked. She wondered then if it would be so terrible to find herself some sort of lady Alpha. The thought shredded nearly as soon as it arrived. Alphas were most times insufferable...and none of them would want a woman who wandered about dressing up and _pretending_ to be one of their own. There was something so difficult about seeing herself with an Alpha. She felt that perhaps they would butt heads overly. After all, she was _quite_ stubborn and _very_ confident. Neither of those tended to be traits held in high regard to an Alpha for their mate.

Only a few minutes into the ride and Aiden was staring at Lady Lottie. Harriet hadn't noticed it at the first but now she did, watching the way he eyed her as though he were thinking up something to say to her. She withered under his gaze, shrinking down into her seat while keeping her eyes on the floor.

She raised a brow. “Aiden?”

With his attention drawn, he shifted his head toward her and opened his mouth to speak. “Perhaps a small bit of entertainment, Rhet.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“To make this trip go a little easier, perhaps a bit of a memory jog. After all, if we'll be remembering our lines come our auditions, perhaps it would be best to practice bringing them to the fore.” He returned to Lady Lottie. “My Lady, do you perchance have any familiarity with the writings of the Bard?”

Lady Lottie looked up, her large eyes suddenly sparking with interest. “Shakespeare? Yes...a bit of him. I've a few passages memorized.”

“And what is your favorite of his plays, my dear?”

“Most certainly _Romeo and Juliet._ ”

Aiden clapped his hands together. “Hah! Perfect, my love. For that is the exact play that we happen to be going to Bristol to audition for!”

“That is why you travel to Bristol?” she asked, her cheeks still holding their pinkened state. “How lovely. I wish I could stay to see your performance.”

Thurston laughed. “Merely because we audition does not mean we shall be invited to perform. We must work well enough with the story and the characters and the script, of course. We must give our heart and soul to the lines.”

“Heart and soul,” she mused, frowning. “I have seen actors perform but I've not one idea of how they invoke such passion. I feel sometimes...” She stopped short, seemingly in understanding that she was about to say something distinctly _personal_. Harriet leaned forward, staring at her intently and knowing in the deepest part of her that she _must_ know what Lady Lottie was going to say.

“My Lady,” she blurted, drawing everyone's attentions. “It is...it is all about what you feel. An actor cannot bring to the fore any emotion that they have not already experienced and, fortunately, most of the human experience can be replicated with similar emotions. What is it that prevents you from invoking passion?”

She drew up, her hands bunched in her skirts as she soaked in the query. “I um...well I feel...sometimes as though I cannot possibly have ever had such an ability. That is, strong emotions such as those depicted by Juliet. I...well...she is so in love and I...I have never been.”

“Ah,” Harriet sighed. “Understandable. I suppose it is difficult to imagine oneself as willing to die for someone...for _love_.”

“Of course,” Lady Lottie nodded. “It is only that I feel that such a love is so rare. Or is that false? I cannot know as I hardly have had any chance at all to fall in love in such a grand sort of fashion. Is that quite common?”

Thurston sniffed and crossed his arms. “It might as well be. Everyone seems to be falling desperately in love nowadays. But not the same sort of innocent and desperate love as Romeo and Juliet.”

“Why not?” Lady Lottie asked, her bluntness reemerging and causing Harriet to smile warmly.

“Thurston believes that love is far too cheap,” Ciri told her. “He thinks that love is something bought and paid for in nothing but blood and tears.”

“What do you think?” the little Lady asked curiously.

Ciri grinned. “I think love is a fanciful sort of thing. I like to fall in love with just about anyone anymore. By now, I think I've fallen a little bit in love with you, my Lady! Love does not always have to be tears and tragedy for it to be powerful and able to conjure the passion that Juliet holds for her Romeo. It is any amount, any ounce of any love that can betray the emotions that one requires to convey a _real_ image of our sweet Juliet.”

Harriet was still smiling, peering at the tiny guileless Omega with an odd heat in her heart. Despite the dimness inside the coach, it seemed the girl could shine. Murmuring, though clear, Harriet recited softly, “ _My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite.”_

Lady Lottie flicked her eyes to Harriet, her small pink lips parted in a silent “O” of understanding as it dawned upon her the intent of all the actors. They were, as was usual for actors, a dramatic sort. Not only that but all of them, save for Thurston perhaps, were filled with a good nature. She would find no true enemies here and perhaps for someone who had naught but enemies at home, this was a welcome change.

Aiden spoke again, his voice gruff. “Perhaps, my Lady, you would do us the honor of helping us to remember our lines. It would help to while away the hours and keep our minds from rotting out of our ears should you be so kind as to accept.”

The Omega made a tiny “eep” sound at the offer and then looked around at Ciri. “But who would I play?”

Ciri frowned. “Why, _Juliet_ , of course!”

“Would not _you_ be better suited to the role?”

“Do not think it, this is for your benefit more than it is mine. We must keep you on your toes and entertain you by keeping you active. Not only that but it is a rare sight indeed to find a director who will allow for a _Beta_ as Juliet. She is meant to be the very pinnacle of Omega sweetness and bravery, after all!”

“I am certainly not brave enough to be Juliet,” she countered.

Harriet interjected. “Do not say so, my Lady. For you are, at this very moment, absconding with the potential of marriage to you into the unknown countryside amongst the company of several low-born _actors_. Brave as Juliet? I should say so.”

“Well...”

Harriet crooned. _“_ _If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.”_ She could fair see the gooseflesh that rose over the girl's forearms as her deep and gentle voice smoothed over her and disarmed her in just the manner that Romeo had intended his words to disarm his Juliet.

The girl was obviously unprepared to be cast in the role of Juliet for Harriet could see her searching for the correct lines, the pressure to perform causing her scent to tangle itself in sour knots.

Thurston took pity. “I believe you're looking for 'Good pilgrim...'”

She jolted back into herself and took a deep breath, the words tumbling out of her not as they would from an actor but as from a school child having been forced to memorize the plays. _“Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, which mannerly devotion shows in this; for saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss.”_

Harriet chuckled at the delivery, so sweet and innocent and so unlike any she had heard in recent memory. It was wooden and stiff and reminded her of younger days when she would force her brother to read lines with her, as exasperated as the man had become with it. On days that he came back from port, having been gone long across the sea, she would force him to read as Tybalt so that she may practice her lines and her swordsmanship. _“Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?”_

_“Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer.”_ In only this second line, Lady Lottie had softened a bit, gathering her thoughts together enough to remember the lines. Still, her eyes did not quite meet Harriet's, over her shoulder rather than upon her. It was obvious that she was still within her own mind rather than in the coach with the rest of them. This was a quality that Harriet thought she could work with. After all, when one conjured emotions, it was useful to have a pool of them inside the brain—just past the location which housed the memory of the lines, of course.

_“O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; they pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.”_ She gave the words as though she were, as Romeo, struck in awe by the beauty of this fair Omega, enraptured by her countenance and bound to love her through fate itself. Passion, Harriet thought. She could most certainly feel passion when it came to an Omega as beautiful as this one...

Lady Lottie seemed to hesitate, certainly aware of what Romeo and Juliet were meant to do at the first they met. _“S-Saints do not move, though...g-grant for prayers' sake.”_

_“Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take. Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged.”_ Sensing the sparkling tension in the girl's scent, roused by the thought that she was about to be kissed by an actor she had only just met and, in part surely, by a _woman Beta_ , Harriet very softly pressed her fingers to her own lips and then reached out to graze them against Lady Lottie's perfect pink ones. Within that movement, she realized that she had been longing for this ever since they had met, to feel how decadently soft those lips could be. It was a wonder, those lips, and surely they could purge sin and hold it for how sinful they seemed.

The little Lady's eyes were suddenly fixed upon Harriet and for the first time, the Beta thought that she was truly being _seen_ by the girl. Her sweet, breathy Omega voice, songbird as she was, floated into the dimness of the coach as if she could not believe what had just occurred. _“Then have my lips the sin that they have took.”_

It demanded everything from Harriet not to break from Romeo at the sound of this line delivered. She wanted at once to take this Omega's hand and growl against her silk skin that yes—most assuredly—her lips were sin incarnate. _“Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again.”_

With a slightly trembling hand, Lady Lottie brushed her fingers against her lips and then touched her fingertips against Harriet's mouth. As if lost to Juliet, she murmured softly, _“You kiss by the book.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of Harriet's descent into FULL LESBIAN INFATUATION. You're doomed, Harriet. Your fate is predetermined and you are doomed to love.


	5. Chapter 5

Lottie wasn't sure what to make of it. At once she wanted to flee on foot into the countryside and at the next she wanted to somehow make this Alpha—Beta—touch her lips again with her fingertips as softly as she had just done. It was an incredible feeling, she thought blankly. It was difficult to remember the lines if she hadn't anyone with her but with Harriet's incredible delivery and stirring emotion, she had found herself unwilling to look away, fascinated by the process that seemed so easy for the actors. Emotions had flown from her heart and into her throat and as Harriet spoke to her with the dulcet words of a besotted Romeo, she began to understand the concept of having passion deep within her. After all, she may not have loved like Juliet and Romeo, but there was something to what Ciri had said. There was love all around. Even the smallest scraps of it could stir up everything she needed to find the Juliet inside her.

Or, at least, that's what it felt like. Her eyes were wide, searching Harriet's face as the scene came to a close and the woman smiled at her, warmly but still with an aloof professionalism. Her low voice was gentle. “Very good, my Lady. It seems that it does not take much at all to dig deeper into your emotions.”

She nodded a little and then had to tear her eyes away from the Beta when Ciri began to speak, knocking her out of this space in which only she and Harriet had existed.

“Lovely! We should perhaps reenact one of the scenes where there is a fight. I would love to play a fight. Aiden, you shall play Tybalt and Lottie, you take the lines for Mercutio.”

Suddenly relieved to have a reprieve of Juliet, she wholeheartedly agreed. After all, it was most flustering to have played lines to Harriet. She discovered, as she developed her voice for Mercutio, that it was not _always_ so flustering—only when she looked in Harriet's eyes. It had to be because she was so much like an Alpha. So much that it was nearly impossible to notice the difference between her and the Alphas that had teased her so badly during the season.

Young bucks who were out to have an entertaining night would pick her off from the edges of the cluster where her mother always told her to stand and dance with her, trading her over and over and over until she was panting, practically running full-tilt back to the Omegas who oft avoided her and closed their ranks to keep her from the protected middle. They didn't like her, of course. She was far too brash and too blunt and they'd no patience for a girl who could not hope to remember every rule of etiquette. She was not charming enough to charm them and not cultured enough to become a wife. She was the girl with sore feet and an even sorer ego after having been tossed about all night by laughing Alphas who asked her lewd questions while they tightened their hold in a waltz.

But Harriet was _not_ an Alpha. She had to remind herself of that simple fact again and again as the woman spoke in a low but softened tone and held a presence that was unlike any Beta she'd ever known. This tall and stately creature who seemed cramped inside the coach was not the same sort of beast that had terrorized Lottie in ballrooms and garden parties. She was _not_ the sort to steal her away from a party and try to grope her in lonely out-of-the-way places. She was _not_ the sort to hold her chin in a hard grip to mash her lips into a forceful kiss.

No. She was not. The touch of her fingertips on Lottie's lips had been the most delicate touch she had ever felt from someone else. The sensation was so far beyond that of disturbing swipes of calloused thumbs that came from Alpha “suitors” who had stolen her away. Her fingers and touch were the most reverent she could imagine and set her heart to pounding in her chest. She could not help herself from stealing glances toward Harriet's form inside the coach, curious as to how in life this creature had not become a true Alpha and curious still that if she had become so, should she have been just as distasteful as those who had pursued Lottie in the past?

_Perhaps not._

She could not even begin to imagine an Alpha with a more mild caress. It was these emotions that drove her performance in the dim coach and she grew more animated, drawing upon those and others that she could well up from her experiences in the past. Anger at the ballroom taunting, despair from her lonely night, desperation from the depths of her heats. She was lost in emotions that welled up inside her and the words she spoke melded with desires and hopes and fears and her heart was twittering madly with how deeply she seemed to feel Mercutio's death as she _lived it._ When they gave pause, she was breathing deeply, her whole form overly warm and her emotions still stuttering and ringing inside her.

Thurston was staring at her and she only just noticed.

“I...” she tried.

The Omega near-whispered. “ _Bra-vo,_ my Lady. _Bra-vo_ indeed.”

Ciri clapped excitedly next to her. “Wonderful. Good grace, even your scent is perfect! An audience would lap that up like a cat to milk. It's wonderous, my Lady. You've got a knack for certain. At the first, we weren't sure but once you are properly in place with your lines, it seems you are a natural.” She made a tiny squeal and moved to give Lottie a tight little squeeze for a hug. “You've even impressed Thurston and that is saying something. The sourpuss here is never impressed.”

“I should say she has certainly impressed me,” he replied. “She's got the spirit in her, no doubt. I say, you should be auditioning with us, my Lady.”

Aiden cleared his throat. “Here, here.”

Harriet's low tone sounded, “Is that all you say Aiden?”

“It is all I can say. It would be sheer madness for most high society Omegas to even think of becoming actors or actresses. Acting is a profession for courtesans and high-paid toffers.”

“Not if she likes it. Then it is a profession for _her._ ” Harriet cast her eyes upon Lottie again. “How do you feel about it, Lottie? Would you like to audition with us?”

“I...” she wanted to cry out that she would simply _adore_ the chance to audition with them but then she wilted. She wasn't a courtesan. She wasn't a “toffer,” whatever that was, and she had to make her way to Durham to save herself and her father's estate. There was no way she could simply disappear into nothing when the fate of her family fortune was so tied to her own. “I...must go to Durham.”

Harriet nodded. “Perhaps when everything is all taken care of you will come and join us wherever we may be. You do have a knack, as Ciri has pointed out.”

“I believe that I shall enjoy the theater...but I shall only just watch. What should anyone say if they were to recognize me?”

“What do they say of you now?”

Lottie felt herself balk at the question. Surely the woman could not see inside her so quickly? Surely she could not be _so_ transparent? She nervously bunched at her dress with her fists, rubbing the heels of her palms against her upper thighs without meaning to. The Omegas of the ton did not like her, seeing her as far too overt for their liking. The Alphas mostly thought her good sport. Not only this but there was really no part of her family that she cared to disappoint. “I...well...there is no real reason I could not...”

“Perhaps you will come to the theater with us and watch us audition.”

She nodded quickly. “I should enjoy that.”

Thurston leaned toward her, his eyes light. “And perhaps you shall be so moved as to audition yourself. Durham could wait, could it not? You are in hiding, are you not? Theater is the perfect place to hide.”

Aiden closed his eyes, his voice graveled, “Until her villainous relatives decide to take a night out to the theater while they search for her. She'd be on a silver platter right on stage before them.”

Ciri waved off the concern. “Pish posh. No real villain would come to see Romeo and Juliet.” She gave the Omega a small hug again, the tightness of the squeeze somewhat of a comfort if Lottie could admit it. “Do not listen to them. You do not have to do a single thing you do not wish to. Come and accompany us to Bristol. Take in the sea air and watch the ships come in and out of port.”

Aiden sighed and knocked on the sliding door to speak to Preston who opened it directly. “Boy. Take us to an inn for the night. Bristol can wait for the morrow.”

“An inn?” Lottie asked.

“Of course,” Ciri told her. “We've got to change the horses at any rate and we might as well stop and rest.” She turned to Harriet. “You don't think the villains will be close on our tail do you?”

“We will keep Lottie hidden. If there are any questions, no one will be able to answer them for they will not have seen her.” She addressed Lottie. “How do you feel, my Lady, to wear Thurston's clothes? If we are to disguise you as one of us, it should be done. Your family will certainly not come asking around for a troupe of actors and we should not give any witness a reason to single you out from our number. Unfortunately, your mourning dress does stick out among us.”

“Oh...” she sighed. “You have made a fair point...is it truly alright that I should borrow your clothes?”

Thurston nodded amicably. “Of course, Omega. It will be your first role: actress!” His eyes flashed as he grinned at her. As sour as he had seemed before, he had quickly warmed to her and Lottie was unsure of how to take this turn-around. She was aware that she did not read people very well at all but this was so pronounced that it was quite stunning.

“You are far kinder now,” she blurted, blinking at him as she stated her observation.

He bubbled with laughter. “There you are making your statement, Lady Lottie,” Thurston chimed. “You are a darling, aren't you? How in the world did you fare with the ton? With a blunt little mouth on you, I imagine you as quite crass. Refreshing, certainly.”

She furrowed her brows. “I don't understand.”

Ciri took her hand. “Thurston should have answered you and he didn't. He's nice to you now because you've surprised him. He didn't expect you to be so much like him.”

“Why not?”

Thurston replied, still grinning. “Because you're _wealthy_ , lovie. You're nothing like me.”

“I am an Omega.”

“With money.”

“Should that make much of a difference?” The whole troupe seemed to peer at her and she was suddenly aware of their stares.

Aiden cleared his throat and responded gruffly, “My dear, you've a level of privilege not known to Omegas like Thurston. So when you've gone and relieved yourself in the grass, he thought you far more than the other debutantes. An admirable trait, in his eyes. Not only this but you are clearly a natural actress. You've a talent that can surpass years of an actor's skill.”

Ciri beamed. “It's brilliant, really.”

Thurston leaned back, crossing his legs with a smug expression. “I do love how you manage to lay everything bare so plainly as well. Goodness how grand it is to have everyone speaking so succinctly rather than only hinting as to the truth of the matter.”

Unused to being complimented so genuinely, she felt her whole body tremble while her heart squeezed in her chest. “You...really mean it?”

“Of course I do. I wouldn't say it otherwise.”

Lottie felt warm tears prick at the back of her eyes. Though her mother was fond of telling her sweet things, she had always known that in some ways it was only because mothers were supposed to say such things to their children. But Thurston did not have any reason to like her or to compliment her. Everything he told her, then, must have been true. She didn't even know quite how to process how good she felt and so she had to tap her heels against the coach floor, trying her hardest to keep the physical manifestation of her emotion under her skirts so that it did not alarm her compatriots. Her hand squeezed Ciri's and she sniffed loudly. “You've all only met me mere hours ago and yet you have been so kind and giving. Is that how all actors are?”

Harriet replied. “That is how _we_ are, my Lady. Do count us among your friends, for we will count you among ours.”

“Yes,” she sniffed again. “Yes, of course.”

With all of that settled, they reached the inn when the sun was low toward the horizon and the summer wind was gaining a bit of a chill from the night. The troupe left Lottie inside the coach with one of Thurston's outfits in order to change and when she emerged, she felt nearly indecent for the way his trousers clung to her legs and revealed the shapely form of her thighs. She had tried her best to keep all of herself a mystery but under the fabric of his shirt, she could feel the free weight of her small breasts and felt quite bare indeed with naught but that loose fabric between her naked self and the outside.

“Ah you're not nearly handsome enough,” Thurston chided her when she came out and he moved to her, rolling up the sleeves until her elbows were revealed and unfastening a few of the buttons at the top until her collarbone was revealed.

“Take care,” she whimpered. “Should you reveal me overly, I fear my...my...I will be nude!”

“Keep your hair on, little one, I'll not let your little tits fall out.”

Ciri let loose a giggle that was as infectious as if an Omega had uttered it and Lottie went along with it, laughing not only at the words but at her whole ordeal in general. If one had told her not so long ago that she would be striding into an inn dressed as a man with a group of raucous actors, she would have thought one mad. Now, she felt as though she were tinged with madness herself, having been strung along in the giggles with a Beta. Even Harriet was smiling, aloof as she seemed to be, as they walked into the inn where a few patrons were enjoying the warmth of the low fire in the hearth and the food that smelled downright delicious.

She remembered what Thurston had said, that her first role would be that of _actress._ She straightened her back and tried to mimic Harriet's confident strut, puffing out her chest and accidentally bumping Thurston as she somewhat lost her balance.

He giggled as he held her to straighten her out. “You're a bit of work, aren't you? Come on, we'll get a few drinks in you and see how crude you are then.”

She whispered at him. “I'm not allowed to have more than a little sherry.”

“Says who?”

“Well that's been the rule. Always.”

He cast her a bizarre look. “Lovie, you can do whatever it is that you wish. You're in my clothes and you're with _Rhet Reed_. You don't need to worry about what sort of control you might have.”

Lottie cast her eyes over to Harriet who was taking care of their rooms for the night and ordering them a round of stew and drinks. She was tall and noble-looking with a little bit of something that was rakish and unrefined. She was sworn to protect Lottie, that was true, and there was enough there for the girl to see that should she find herself absolutely tossed with drink, the woman would likely make certain that she was well-protected. It was enough to make the Omega consider the fact that she was _not_ supposed to be Lottie this evening. This was her chance to be everything she wasn't, she thought wildly.

And yet...the whole of the idea was terrifying. Enough so that she was rubbing the heels of her palms against her hips as she stood there like a stick in the mud next to Thurston. “I don't think I can drown myself in spirits.”

“Well you might not be able to, but I can.” He took from Harriet his drink as she handed to him and sipped the clear liquid, hissing at it as he swallowed. “Ah gin. The most fickle of them all. I swear by the time I'm finished with tonight, you'll be looking quite delicious.”

Ciri peeped around her, frowning. “Do not tease her, Thurston. She's a _debutante._ ”

He rolled his eyes. “Even the purest little brides have been sullied in gardens before.”

Horrified, Lottie gasped. “Gracious! Everyone knows?!”

Harriet, having arrived with a bowl of stew for Lottie, guided them toward one of the hard wood tables while she asked, “Everyone knows what?”

“That I've been kissed in gardens!” She could not bear to look at Harriet who had become her staunch protector and so she bolted, shamefully, from the scene to lock herself into the powder room, sliding the bolt with her back against the door. Could they truly see it? Was it so obvious? A mark upon her being? Upon her soul?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lottie: HOW IS EVERYONE A MIND READER?!?!!?!?


	6. Chapter 6

Harriet stood, confused, for a few moments as she stared at the door to the powder room along with the rest of the troupe. Then, with as much poise as she could manage, she looked down at Thurston. “Wonderful work there, Omega. You've made her run off and hide.”

“I've done nothing of the sort. How should I have known she'd have been so sensitive about being kissed in gardens? Does that not happen to nearly every girl at those ridiculous soirees? They end up stolen into the moonlight and it's terribly romantic, is it not?”

“More like _terrifying_ ,” Harriet told him sternly. “Not a single girl in the world I imagine has any interest in being forcibly herded where their chaperone cannot see them.”

Thurston shrugged. “It sounds like a jolly good time, to be honest.”

Ciri saucily gave her retort: “Well you're a tart.”

“And you're a slag.”

Harriet growled at the two of them to quiet them and then made her way to the powder room door, knocking gently upon it as to create a more maternal sort of mood. It must have worked for the girl answered her with a morose sort of tone that matched the musty, glum scent that leaked from under the door. It was no secret when Omegas were miffed or broken for the smell was unlike any slight sourness or bitterness that was more temporary in nature. This was a lasting scent that would likely take the rest of the night to dissipate. Thurston and whomever had wronged Lady Lottie, had made a muck of the night, no doubt.

“Harriet?” There was hope in that voice and Harriet's heart glowed from the knowledge of it.

“Yes, Lady Lottie. It's me.” Perhaps she would have preferred to have spoken to Ciri, she thought, as the two of them seemed to share so much already. Of course, how could she have preferred any of them to this point? It had been less than a day and here she was trying to console a girl who clearly had more of an interesting and extraordinary life than she had previously assumed.

“I do not think I'm ready to come out yet.”

“Perhaps your bowl of stew inside there then? I know that for me, it is only a hot meal that can soak up and dissolve my worries.” She waited for a few moments and when the door unlatched, she handed Lady Lottie the bowl and the spoon. “Can I join you? Good company always does me good when I'm feeling lost about something.”

“No...thank you.”

“May I sit outside here and chat with you? My father used to do such a thing when I was a girl. It was terribly awkward when it was about my having not become an Alpha...imagine trying to relate.” She tried to laugh but found it awkward. Clearing her throat, she stood with a crooked smile in the attempt to appear well-meaning.

Her big brown eyes lifted and shined with tears through the crack in the door. “I suppose if you wish, you may stay.” She did not close the door but left it open merely a crack, sinking down with her bowl just inside. “I'm sorry to you and to the rest. There is something terribly wrong with me. I know it despite everything. I do not mean to be...dramatic.”

Harriet chuckled. “You are a born actress, Lady Lottie. It is your prerogative to be dramatic as there is clearly drama in your blood.” She truly was a natural, Harriet thought. The way she had fallen after only a few lines into the form of Juliet, a brilliant and gorgeous transformation of being that had left the whole lot of them with gooseflesh and awe. Simply touching her lips with mere fingertips could never be enough, she thought wildly. That there were men in the world who had kissed her—it was unthinkable. If _Rhet Reed_ could have gotten a hold of those men, they would be beaten within an inch of their lives for having caused the little Lady Omega to feel this much horror at the thought of them.

_My god, she's so lovely. Even through a mere crack in the door. Her eyes like shining tiger eyes, deep and filled with raw mystery. Unattainable, simply stated, and still I cannot help but fall for her. More than Ciri's falling—more like Romeo._

To think that mere hours before, she had thought the burden of taking a lone Omega heiress on a journey to the north was an inconvenience. Now, it seemed as though it could only bless her for as little as a few days and her life would forever be enriched by the privilege. Oh to be an Alpha. To truly have what it took to steal this Omega from her obligations and become more for her than she could have ever imagined. But oh to be an Alpha! To find the men that wronged her and drive them into the ground for having done so! She could lament on and on and yet still, nothing would change. She would still be Harriet and Lottie would still be Lottie and there would still be this door between them.

Lady Lottie sniffled. “I suppose that it is difficult to reconcile...I have so many emotions and some are simply too much for me to feel all at once. It is so hard to explain. That everything overwhelms me so easily—it is a fault of the nerves, I suppose. That is what the doctors would say.” She turned her voice down low. “I have heard whispers of what they do to women with _hysteria_.”

Harriet felt her brows level out. “There is no such thing as hysteria. You are a fully-functioning adult Omega, my Lady, and you've got a right to feel what you feel. There is nothing _wrong_ with you. You are merely...” She thought a moment. “...different.” It was a crime for doctors to speak of things that did not pertain to them, she thought savagely. It was far too common for Alphas to speak as if they knew of a body so unique from theirs. She sniffed dismissively.

“Different is not good,” she sniffled again. “Different is what makes one sport for Alphas. Makes them believe that it is alright for them to laugh at you.”

“I will murder any man who makes sport of you, my Lady.”

“Gracious, you do sound serious, Alpha.”

Harriet's heart sang. “I am perfectly serious. If a man dares make you feel as though you are less a woman or less an Omega for having been different, then he will face my wrath and it is a mighty wrath indeed.” Her soul was soaring in a thrum of protective sparks and she well recognized it. She could not allow this perfect and beautiful dark-haired Juliet to feel as though she were prey—ever! It was the lot of many Omegas to come to such conclusions about themselves and it was not to be born for Harriet's darling little one she had been charged with. Brash and blunt as Lottie could be, it was clear there was a soft and delicate creature hidden beneath the shell. “Little one, it does not matter if you've been kissed in gardens.”

“It was always so well-regarded, a woman's first kiss,” she replied, her voice filled with tears. “It is oft stated that it should be the chaste kiss when she is first wed...”

“Oft,” she replied, “but think, my Lady, to that first kiss between Juliet and her Romeo. Strangers, they were, and kissing in the depths of a soiree.”

“But they were in love.”

“Granted,” she conceded, “but should they have never met again, her kiss was still lost.”

“You cannot regret a true love's first kiss,” Lottie explained as if Harriet were a child, her tears receding with her explanation. “It has the power to awaken princesses and lift curses, how could it be terrible?”

Bolstered that her distraction attempts were working, she pressed on. “The Princess Briar Rose could not love the prince that kissed her for she had never met him before. He came to her, braved the treacherous brambles, and fell to his knees at her beauty even in sleep. Then the bastard has the audacity to kiss her while she slept—though admittedly, it is to break a curse though it is no less disturbing for it—and then talks her into marriage.” She laughed low. “Are we to assume that merely by his efforts he _deserves_ to kiss her? It was not true love's kiss at all. Merely a stranger forcing himself upon a young girl.”

Lady Lottie was giggling now. “Goodness you have such strong opinions about a fairy tale.”

“Of course I do. For I have strong opinions about a girl's first kiss. Namely yours. True love's first kiss is not a girl's _first_ kiss. It could be the second or the tenth or the hundredth. Whomever her _truest love_ is will always be the taker of _true love's_ kiss.”

Lady Lottie was quiet for a moment as she turned it over in her mind. “A compelling argument.”

“Is that agreement?”

“I suppose it is.”

“Good. Then perhaps you will come out here and entertain us all with tales of how absolutely awful the men were that kissed you.” Perhaps one day she would be able to take such information and punch a man's teeth out for having harmed her Juliet.

“Why would you want to know that?”

“Remember what Ciri told you—we do love a good villain.” And they certainly loved punching good villains in the face.

When the door opened again, Lady Lottie was smiling, wiping at her cheeks with the heel of her palm while Harriet stood up and brushed herself off. Her stew was finished and she agreed to come join them again, sheepishly sticking to Harriet's side while the gang gave her space and let her scent even out. Every so often, Harriet could not help herself but to touch her and found that it was this that formed a better scent each time she did it. Even the simplest brush against the little Lady would make her sweeter and calmer. She had heard before that Omegas were primarily touch-based creatures but had never gone further than the caresses to the back of the neck when one was upset or frightened. Thurston was cuddly, that was for certain, but he was not often so when he was not close to heat or sleeping.

Experimental touches were dangerous, Harriet thought even as she very softly brushed the girl's elbow with her fingers, drawing her attention and giving her a reassuring smile. The way she smiled back, bashful and quick with a grateful scent and just the barest hint of spice was driving Harriet near _up the wall._ She could very clearly imagine this beautiful heiress with her hair tumbled out over silk-cased pillows, bare as the day she was born and damp in heat. It was impossible, she thought crossly, angry at herself for even considering the fantasy worth having in the first place.

Sure, Harriet had considered Omegas before but no one like this. No one she thought was so very obviously worth marrying. It was a useless sort of ache in her heart that resembled love—but wasn't it? Shouldn't she admit it? She rolled her eyes at herself, recognizing her own indecision and melancholy as a trait of her dynamic. Ordering a shot of whiskey from the barkeep, she tossed it back and then ordered another.

“What is that?” came the soft and lilting voice of the very woman Harriet was seeking to forget.

“Whiskey.”

“Is it anything like sherry?”

“Nothing like sherry.”

“Could I taste it?”

She slid the tiny glass over to her. “Don't drop it. And if you want to take that whole swallow, I'll teach you how.”

“Oh I couldn't...” She lifted it up, placing the rim to her pink lips and tilting it only so far as to get the barest taste. “Mmff!” She set it down, her face pinching hard. “It is terrible! Gracious, it tastes like a wooden board!” She placed her palm flat to her mouth and then tapped it a few times over her lips in a puzzling motion that had Harriet quite amused.

“You're not supposed to taste some whiskeys.”

“And others?”

“They don't hurt so much.” She lifted the glass and took the shot, hissing against the burn. “Whiskey isn't normally an Omega sort of drink.”

Lady Lottie peered over at Thurston. “I suppose then that gin is?”

“No. Not gin either. Thurston and some other little lads have it in their heads that sucking down spirits helps them loosen up all those rigid barriers Omegas are supposed to have.” She leaned toward Lottie and kept her voice low. “It makes them more fun, I suppose.”

“Well, what would you suggest for me?”

“Anything. Anything you want. If you want a shot of whiskey, I'll get you one.”

She stood there for a little while, contemplating the bottles behind the bar. “I um...I suppose then yes. I will try that.”

Harriet lifted a finger to the keep and ordered another two whiskey shots and a glass of ale. When they were poured and set, she turned to Lady Lottie. “Alright. Most important thing to remember is to take a good breath in right before you drink the whole thing. Then, after you're finished, set it right down and wash it all away with the ale.”

“What is the point of drinking it if I will simply wash it away immediately?”

“To get tossed, Omega.”

“I will not get a big fat red nose, will I?”

“Do you see a big fat red nose on me?” she asked with a grin.

“Well, no.”

Harriet lifted her shot. “Then cheers.” Waiting until Lottie lifted hers, she clinked the glass together and drank, watching the girl from the corner of her eye as she took in a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut, taking back the shot and swallowing it with a terrible expression. When the girl coughed and fanned herself with her hand, Harriet gave her the ale and watched her take desperate gulps, her face reddened and her eyes wet.

“Oh _grace!_ ” Lady Lottie exclaimed.

The Beta smiled. “You won't need another, I suppose. That should be enough to loosen you up.”

“I hope so!” she coughed again, wiping at her eyes. “What a horrible drink! What a terrible invention! How anyone could be so fond of it?!”

Ciri's high-pitched voice sounded across the din of the inn, “Oh, Lady Lottie! _Look!_ ”

Everyone turned to see that Preston had wandered into the inn after having gone for a walk and in his hands was a small orange kitten. The man himself looked upward, shocked to find everyone staring at him and addressed the barkeep. “Man down a ways told me that you'd been in need of a good mouser. Told me to take him along and send regards. Said he's a good stock for it. I believe it, feisty little bastard.”

Ciri's hands were to her cheeks. “Oh let us pet him, would you?”

Harriet's nose detected something in Lady Lottie's scent that distracted her and as she looked over at the girl she was staring intently at the active kitten who wriggled in Preston's arms as if he simply _must_ be seen. Sheer joy seemed to radiate from her and her hands were again rubbing against her thighs in an odd motion. As Preston approached, she drew up, her hands curling toward her shoulders and twisting back and forth as she formed a small hum in her throat that seemed to be an outlet for her powerful emotion.

_All from a kitten? A joy so incredible that she must tap from toe to toe and flap her hands and fidget so terribly? Mercy upon my soul, angels in heaven, I cannot handle the manner in which this woman vexes me. I have never thought in all my days that I would be so desperate for a girl in my life. That I would find even the most incomprehensible parts of her so deeply touching. That she cannot help but be fit to burst with her joy and her sorrow is to be the death of me one day. It will harm me greatly to leave her in a marble fortress to be rescued by calculation rather than by my hand upon the throats of her pursuers._

Even when the small kitten was before her, she could only bring one hand to gently pat its small head and when it gave out a tiny mewl of hello, Lottie's tears were less from the burn of the whiskey and more from how rapturous the miracle of the animal could be.

“Oh my lord,” the girl managed, “it is far too much.”

Harriet gently took the cat from Preston's grip and held it so that it could face Lottie properly. The girl scritched the little being's cheeks, earning the subtle hint of a happy purr which sent her again into a fit of perfect little movements fit to calm her. “You are an enigma, my Lady,” Harriet murmured. “And I mean that in the most affectionate of ways and never to offend. You confound me in every fashion imaginable.”

Lottie's cheeks were pink as she tried to wipe her stirring hands on Thurston's borrowed trousers. “It is only the st-stress, Alpha. Forgive me.”

“There is nothing to forgive.”

“It is only that I cannot imagine how there could exist a creature of such unending charm...it is overwhelming, is it not? I cannot be the only one who believes such.”

Harriet stared at her, watching her marvel at the kitten who purred and reached out for her with his small orange paw as she murmured softly in assent. “No, my Lady. You are not.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "A mighty wrath." Yeah okay Harriet.


	7. Chapter 7

It was quite late in the evening before everyone determined that it was about time to settle in for the night and the cool moon was shining through the panes of glass in the warm and snug little room Lottie was led into by a rather tossed little Thurston who insisted that this was her room and that the rest of them would be sharing their own.

“But...you mean to tell me that all of you will be piled into another room while I am to have one of my own? That seems quite unusual, doesn't it?”

“If you were not here, my Lady, we would still all be in one room. We're a troupe of actors, my Lady. We've not a lot of money and inns cannot have so much space, besides. It is, by and large, quite _usual_.” He giggled.

“Surely some of you would prefer to have more room. I should insist that you and Ciri come to stay in my room with me.” Truly her motive in asking was more that she was nervous to spend the night alone in a strange place and perhaps the other Omega could scent and sense her anxious state.

He regarded her with narrowed eyes for a moment before he took in a deep breath through his nose, contemplating the request. “Well...I suppose that could be done. I would hate to have you snuck off with in the middle of the night by some rogue who hopped in through the window.”

She squeaked, “Is this a usual occurrence?!”

“There are villains afoot, are there not? Those who would wish for you not to travel to Durham.”

“They cannot know I am here,” she breathed, trying to calm her nerves as best she could. “It would be impossible, would it not?”

“Oh dear, you are nervous,” Thurston noted. “Perhaps you won't have to spend the night alone...we'll chat in the other room and we'll have someone in here with you. Has to be someone who can fight off anyone comin' in through the window though.” He chuckled.

“You do not think that someone would actually do such a thing, do you?” She gripped his arm, holding him still until he had to pull her hand from him.

“I tease you, my Lady. Gracious, let me remember in the future not to do it so flippantly. We will make certain of it now that I've riled you. Wait here and one of us will be over shortly.”

“You will not stay with me?”

“I am hardly enough to protect you.” With that he was gone.

She took a few steps backward, the room becoming fuzzy for a few seconds as she felt the nervousness and almost-panic of the idea starting to well up around her. A tightness in her chest began and though she knew it was mere teasing, it did not seem to alleviate the specter of the prospect. Spending all night alone in this tiny room with nothing around her to protect her should someone wish to take her away—she felt as though she should have been naked in the wilderness for as much protection as she felt from these walls.

A low tone met her from the doorway and she looked up to find Harriet leaning upon the door frame, her expression amused. “He is terrible to you, isn't he? I assure you, he doesn't mean to be...some of the time. He does have a rather bad habit of riling you in all sorts of ways.”

“Miss Reedstrom, I—”

“Harriet, please. We've been informal before this, it is best to keep it that way. Especially if I am to be spending time with you like this.” Under her arm was one of the inn's pillows and some fluffy counterpanes that she moved to place on the floor next to the bed.

“Y-You?” Lottie moved so that her legs were up on the bed and she sat upon her feet, staring up at the tall Beta with wonder. She supposed that it should not be so surprising, after all, Harriet was the one who was supposed to be guiding her. Still, it seemed odd. An _Alpha_ sleeping in the same room with a defenseless Omega.

_You are not defenseless. She_ is _your defense, you silly girl._

“Of course, me. There is no one here who cares a whit about your propriety save myself and, of course, _you._ Should you feel nervous about anything at all, I will be here for you and need only reach your hand down toward me on the floor and I will be there for you to touch to reassure yourself.” She arranged the blankets on the floor and moved to lay upon them, her fingers laced over her belly and a small smile on her face as she gazed upwards to Lottie who peered down over the edge of the bed. “Is this not acceptable?”

“I...I suppose it is...” She was still buzzing, unable to comprehend that she was perfectly able to be _alone_ with a strong woman who commanded entire rooms with her presence alone. It was unheard of to be caught alone in her normal life and here it seemed there were no such rules—she was dressed as a man, she was thrust into strange and unfamiliar places and roles and now she was _alone_ with Harriet. “I simply have never been...alone with an Alpha who did not wish to...”

“To take advantage of you?” she asked from where she lay. “Fear not, little Lady, you're safe with me. I will not kiss you as you sleep.”

Her cheeks warmed. “Ah yes, I do recall that your opinions on that matter are quite rigid.”

“Indeed they are,” she grinned. “One cannot simply kiss a woman without her full and enthusiastic support of the action. A sleeping woman cannot give such support unless it was given prior to the woman's unconscious state. Clearly Briar Rose could not have given any such consent and thus the kiss is a breach of ethics.”

“But if he did not kiss her, he would not have saved her and the castle,” Lottie replied, feeling her tensions drifting away as she moved to sprawl out onto her stomach so that she could rest a bit and still peer down at Harriet where she lay.

“Let her sleep for eons,” was Harriet's reply. “That or at least apologize to her when you've woken her. From what I understand, the man was completely unabashed for his sudden lust for her—”

“Lust? He loved her.”

She scoffed. “From her face alone? Spare me. Little one, it takes far more than a pretty face for an Alpha to fall in love.”

“A pretty scent then.”

“Is that what you think of us? Simple creatures, the lot?”

“Well,” she provided rather matter-of-factly, “Alphas _are_ quite simple creatures. But I should take the time to remind you, Harriet, though I think of you as an Alpha and I'm certain that others do as well, you are a...a Beta.”

“Indeed I am. Hence why no one should be overly concerned over your propriety. Though I am an Alpha to anyone else, I cannot truly compromise you in any way that counts for much.”

Lottie rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling and feeling the haze of the small amounts of alcohol warm her face again. “And what ways of compromising would count for little? The sort that you could do...?”

Harriet gave a distinct little chuckle. “You are a very forward little Omega. Are you asking me if I have ever deflowered a girl? How deviant, Lady Lottie.” Still, even as she said it, Lottie could smell the mildness of her Beta tone shift and alter underneath the tangy smoke of the Alpha one. Though she was unable to pick out the emotions therein, she knew that what she had said had made a reaction.

“You tease me, do you not?”

“I do. Most Englishmen do not take kindly to the sorts of acts that Beta ladies can perform with Omega partners...at least, those acts that require a bed or the imagination.”

“You mean sexual acts.” Lottie rolled back again so that she could peer down at Harriet where she lay.

“Yes. That is what I mean.”

“Is one of those kissing?”

“It is.”

“And should I give you my full and enthusiastic consent here and now, would you kiss me, Harriet?”

There was a strange pause to the woman's facial expressions as she stared up at Lottie. Perhaps her silence meant that she was thinking, weighing whether or not this was a reasonable thing to be asked by a woman she had met that morning. Surely it could not be so strange, Lottie thought, after all Harriet was masquerading as an Alpha—should it not go hand-in-hand that she would have the interests and the cravings of such a creature that she emulated? Still, Lottie corrected, she was _not_ an Alpha. This was the deciding factor and of course she had never been kissed by anyone she had _chosen_ to kiss. Harriet closed her mouth, snapped back into herself, and then opened it again.

“I do not think it prudent to kiss you now, my Lady. For your full and enthusiastic consent must be given when spirits have not been involved. I cannot consider your proposal for a kiss when you have imbibed. Your recklessness has emerged.”

She felt an odd tugging in her heart that could have dragged it straight into her stomach. “You will not, then? At all? Even if I asked?”

“Even if you asked.”

“What about tomorrow morn? What if I ask again?”

“Then I shall reconsider.”

Lottie pooched out her bottom lip in consideration of the concession and then turned over again onto her back before she scrambled under her covers. “You do not think some villain will come in through the window...do you?”

“No. Not with me here.”

“You do not think that perhaps you would do better in protecting me should you be closer to me, do you?”

“No, my Lady. I believe I will do a fine job of it where I am.”

“And I will simply touch you in order to calm myself?”

She chuckled again where she lay. “Yes, little one. Now. Before you may become fixated on the concept, let me ask you a silly question to keep your mind away from it. What is the most dastardly thing you've ever said at a party? Or at least, what do you _think_ is the most dastardly thing you've ever said?”

Lottie cuddled the covers around herself, arranging her pillows just so that she might be able to rest among them easily. “I think the worst thing I ever said at a party was something my mother had to repeat to me later and explain to me. I was hideously rude many times without ever knowing it, you know.” She cleared her throat delicately. “I once told Lady Vauksbetch from Austria or some other strange place that her dress reminded me of some odd illustrations of vivisection.”

The Alpha snorted a bit in her laughter. “A hideous and visceral shade of red, I assume.”

“A rather corporeal and sickening taupe hue, I believe. It reminded me of a deeply unsettling illustration in one of my father's medical texts of a human brain.”

Harriet sat up, regarding Lottie over the edge of the bed with wide eyes. “How utterly fascinating.”

“Fascinating, yes. How I single-handedly destroyed my chances of marrying into a wealthy Austrian family. You know, I will tell you this but you cannot tell another soul...”

She leaned forward, resting an arm on the edge of the bed. “I am the very soul of discretion you know.”

“It is not the stress.”

“What?”

“My mother told me to tell everyone that am only _stressed_ and that is the reason for my odd behavior. It is not stress. Though...it could be, I suppose. But things happen to me all the time even when there is no stress whatsoever. I simply cannot fathom some things that seem to come so naturally to everyone else. It's unfair of people to assume that I know nothing about it though that is normally what they do. I suppose I'm lucky not to be hidden away like some idiot child.” She hummed a bit to herself and then turned over on her side, curling up and staring at Harriet through the fog of whiskey and wine. “They could have locked me in a basement, I suppose, if they hadn't loved me so much. If I hadn't been their only daughter.”

“You're not an idiot.”

“It seems that way sometimes.” She sighed, the tugging on her heart growing stronger, altering her scent.

“Please do not become upset, my Lady. I have already stated that I cannot become closer to you and you will make that terribly difficult if I must touch you to calm you.”

“You do not think me strange?”

“I should ask you the same.”

Lottie reached downward after Harriet had again settled and gently touched Harriet's shoulder, the warmth of her incredible. “I only reassure myself...” It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep her eyes open and so, with her knuckles just brushing over Harriet's shoulder as she drifted off into a tilting, dreamless sleep. When she awoke again, she found that she had unbecomingly drooled a damp patch into the bedding and her arm was still draped over the side of the mattress, tingly and numb from the fashion in which it had hung. Still, her hand was touching the slumbering Prince—Princess?—upon the floor who appeared so vulnerable in her sleep that Lottie was loathe to do anything to wake her.

She pulled up her numb arm and rubbed it to wake it, still staring down at the Alpha where she lay. It was so different to look at someone while they slept. How difficult it was for her to look someone in the eyes and yet when their eyes were closed, it was difficult to look away. She was handsome, Lottie thought, that must have been the true reason. She was handsome in a soft and feminine sort of manner and for some strange reason, she felt her heart beating harder in her chest. No, no, she thought, it was not a strange reason at all. It was only that she found the Alpha to be attractive, of course. Who wouldn't, after all? There was surely a reason that the woman was bent upon playing the lead Alpha roles in all of her performances.

After a short time, Lottie was dismayed to find that Harriet was waking and as soon as her eyelids fluttered open, the girl could no longer stare at her, flitting her glances away.

“Oh, my Lady...you're awake. Good morning.”

She felt her face filling with heat. “G-Good morning, Alpha.”

“How did you sleep, little one?”

“Deeply...”

She smiled. “Wonderful news. Then we shall have a decent ride into Bristol.” She stretched, cat-like in her movements before she sat up and rolled to her feet with her momentum. Tall and stately as Lottie lay still in her bed, Harriet's smile was cheeky. “How warm you look snuggled into your nest. How jealous I am to have spent my night upon the floor.”

Lottie smiled before her retort. “I beg pardon, Alpha, for I do recall having extended the invitation to you...” Her cheeks were blazing.

“You know I could not, in moral conscience, accept such an invitation.”

She shrugged before she moved out of the bed, fussing with her hair as her curls had managed to become a living mass of their own will. “As you had clearly stated last night, there is no function to which you could have compromised me in any way that mattered. To me these sound like empty excuses for why you could not be comfortable and warm.”

“You were drunk.”

“Well...yes. But not out of my mind.”

Harriet shook her head, moving to Lottie's side and taking the reins in dealing with her unwieldy hair. As she tied it all up into a messy bun, she replied, “It is impossible for me to know what sort of state you are in as I am clearly not a reader of minds—I am merely Harriet and I will not compromise you. In ways that matter or in ways that don't.”

“Noble of you.”

“I thought so.” She reached out and plucked up a stray curl of Lottie's dark hair and then brushed her cheek with the backs of her fingers. “Ladies such as yourself deserve noble protectors.”

“I now see why you were chosen for the role.” Her heart skipped. Harriet, though having been aloof for the most part, was far too handsome up close and Lottie felt the looming specter of danger pulsing in her nerves. She held back the urge to flee from the room by focusing clearly upon the inexplicable urge to suddenly clutch against Harriet and demand that she hold her as tight as she dared. The pull between the two kept her exactly where she was, standing like a stick in the mud. She could have fainted dead away when she watched Harriet lift her hand and kiss the backs of her fingers.

“Forgive me,” she murmured, her breath puffing against Lottie's hand, forcing goosebumps to rise over her flesh, “Was this too forward?”

“N-No...a token of a noble warrior, no doubt.”

Taking Harriet's arm that was offered, they emerged from the room and Lottie was relieved to find that Harriet had spoken true—no one particularly cared that she had spent the night alone with this _noble_ Alpha who had kissed her hand. Oh, her cheeks were still pink, she thought with a flutter in her heart. What was this feeling? What was this hideous hope that welled up inside? She glanced at Harriet and upon the answering glance, darted her eyes away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was told my several people that they wished there was a wiki for my stories so they could keep everything and everyone straight (maybe not the best of words???). So surprise. Now there is. The pages are open (plz don't vandalize them, I'll be sad) so anyone can add things in. If you have a favorite story or character and you want to add bits and pieces about them to the wiki, feel free. It's definitely a group effort kind of thing as it would take one person quite a bit of time to complete a wiki filled with so many characters.
> 
> Check it out---> **[J.D.'s Omegaverse Wiki](https://jd-omegaverse.fandom.com/wiki/J.D._Omegaverse_Wiki)**


	8. Chapter 8

Bristol was no stranger to Harriet but when she looked at Lottie, the girl was peering about in wonder as though she were gazing into the pages of a storybook. It was big, certainly, but she could not think of it as grand when it often stank to high heaven and the skyline was cut by its less-than-stately edifices and the tall masts of ships that had come into harbor. Gulls constantly jeered from their roosts in a cacophony of hideous noise and far too many of them used to come to rest upon the brilliant stonework of the theatre. _Used to_ , was right. Now the only creatures that prowled and sunned upon the stone and marble were probably close to a hundred _cats_ who skittered their way into impossible places and closed their eyes in contentment after a long day of hunting mice and terrorizing the birds.

It was not the largest theater in England and certainly not the grandest but _The Cardinal_ was a rather large to-do in Bristol for certain and the most important part of it all was that Preston's close cousin was one of the stagehands and had promised that for certain the troupe would be able to speak with the woman who owned the place and managed the productions. She was, as Harriet seemed to recall, an older woman who was very careful in everything she did and said as though she were constantly playing a role on the stage. A woman who was very clear in her enunciation, picky with her casting, and absolutely _savage_ in her criticisms. She was the very woman that Harriet believed might send Thurston into apoplexy.

Lottie was back in her more comfortable clothes and now, having seen her again in her adorable little traveling gown—drab as it was—Harriet was convinced there was nothing the girl did not look a dream in. She shyly stayed close between Harriet and Ciri, her wide eyes peering about the theater as though she had never seen anything so grand in her life despite having lived in a much larger and much grander house the whole of her existence. It was silly, surely, Harriet thought. After all, her home was certainly not so...gaudy. The chunky jewelry and over-done emotions of theater often translated into overly-gilded opera houses and somewhat tastelessly decorated auditoriums. This particular playhouse, however, she thought was very finely done.

Ciri murmured as they wandered inside, “It is a wonder this place isn't absolutely covered in fur. Gracious, everywhere you look is a cat.”

Lottie's hands were up near her collarbones again, her fingers tracing over her own shoulders over and over in that motion Harriet had assumed was meant to calm her. The playhouse was not quiet with the staff flitting about around the troupe but she could still hear, or perhaps feel, the gentle hum that came from the Omega's throat as she worked through the action around her.

They came eventually to the auditorium and gazed over the stage where hands were climbing to set ropes and artists were painting scenery. Several actors were squabbling over this and that while a very bored-looking woman lounged off to the side, engrossed in her stack of parchment.

Preston leaned toward Harriet. “That's Tabby. She's your mark if you're looking for a big role. Ah. Here's my cousin, Stanton.”

Stanton looked remarkably like Preston though he was clean-shaven and holding a tad bit more weight that made him appear a bit healthier—it was inevitable for actors to be a little underweight should they be travelers, Harriet lamented. His eyes flickered with a strange light as he regarded Harriet.

“Alpha,” he greeted, shooting out his hand. “I'm Stanton Combs. I understand you're here for a role.”

“I am,” she replied. “Rhet Reed.”

“It's good to finally meet you. I've heard about you before and not always from my cousin here. In certain circles, your reputation has preceded you. I believe you'll find that Tabby herself may or may not have picked up on a few gushing praises of you. She does read all those papers, you know.”

Aiden cleared his throat. “I should hope so. Rhet here is the finest lead Alpha in England. She's far and away superior to that pompous Buck Thorne.”

Stanton's eyes softened and his mouth gained a queer smile. “Mr. Thorne is quite accomplished... No matter. I'll introduce you to Tabs and...” His gaze caught Lottie and the flicker of strange light in them seemed to brighten. “Why...hello...”

“Mr. Combs, this is Lady Lottie Wilkerson.” Harriet straightened, pressing a small bit upon Lottie's back to move her forward. “She's in my charge for a small time.”

“How do you do, my Lady?” he asked, leaning down a bit to examine her. “You look so familiar, you know. I swear to you I've seen you in a dream.”

“Oh no,” Thurston muttered. “Another one of you dreamers. Are you a fortune teller like our Preston here? I can't stand this. Let us speak to your mistress and then we can have a moment to entertain your _dreams._ ”

“Right, right...” Stanton nodded, still flicking soft glances toward Lottie that made Harriet's flesh break out in goose pimples. There was certainly something that the man had dreamed about her and Harriet was on the verge of seething in jealousy over it. She'd no patience for the feeling of anticipation and for some odd reason, she wanted to shake Stanton until he'd told her every bit of that dream. Instead, she held her composure and followed him along with the rest as he approached the bored-looking woman who was now fiddling with a set of round spectacles. “Tabby? Shall I introduce my cousin and his troupe?”

“A troupe?” she twittered, placing the spectacles upon her head and fluttering her lashes in surprise. She was, most likely, an actress who had come by an Alpha patient enough to allow her a dream of running her own theater or perhaps one who had the fortune to come into her own. An Omega, her scent was floral and pleasant and she still held the shine of beauty in her face that must have been her bread and butter on the stage. She stood, arranging her skirts and brushing herself off before she put out her hand to shake Preston's as though she were a man. “It is good to meet you. Preston, is it? Quite good. I understand you're all here for roles.” Her nose twitched and she immediately stared at Harriet. “An intriguing scent, Alpha. Let me see you. Tall, mannerly, uniquely masculine with a bit of a feminine build...” she leaned to peer at Harriet's backside. “Shapely thighs, a tight arse...well my, my...you're Rhet Reed.”

Harriet burst out into a delighted chuckle. “You can tell who I am from my arse, Madam?”

“That and the other things stated,” she replied, grinning saucily upwards at her. “You're a handsome creature, that's for certain, and I know you're here for Romeo but I'll have to disappoint you. I've already cast the role for Romeo. I could let you read lines for Mercutio or Tybalt if you'd like...I'm certain we could find a place for you.”

Thurston huffed. “ _Find a place?_ For _Rhet Reed?_ ”

Harriet put her hand out to him to stop his vitriol. “Actually, I don't believe I'll be able to stay very long anyway. You see, I've been tasked with escorting this beautiful little one up to Durham and I've resolved to leave my troupe here in Bristol for the duration. Unfortunately, this task may take me longer than you could spare me anyhow.”

“That _is_ unfortunate. Perhaps when you come back, we could place you into our next production?” She was still admiring Harriet in a fashion that was not entirely innocuous. “You are a _stunning_ Alpha, if I do say so myself, Miss Reed. I hear you have a near _perfect_ command of your voice which is nearly unheard of in theater. My current Romeo is another Alpha but I've had to coach him several times on his use of voice. It would be most refreshing to gain a talent like yourself here at The Cardinal.”

There was a tiny little mewl at Harriet's feet and she peered downward to find a tiny black void with two shining yellow eyes staring up at her. Without thinking, she leaned down and plucked the tiny kitten up from the floor and held it in one hand, turning her attention back to Tabby. “I'm particularly enamored by the uniqueness of this place, Omega. I've heard that you command it with a great amount of authority.”

Her expression was distinctly pleased. “You've heard correctly. Should you like to read lines for me despite your task?” Her eyes flitted to Lottie. “Perhaps this sweet girl could read as Juliet? Stanton, could you fetch me Juliet's lines?”

“Oh no need,” Harriet interjected, “Lottie is quite proficient. She's the perfect Juliet and has no need to read from script.”

Tabby's green eyes lit. “Oh? An actress _and_ a Lady?”

Lottie, though trembling slightly, stepped forward and gave a deep curtsy. “No, Madam. Only a Lady...I...I am merely well-read.”

Ciri burst forward excitedly. “She is far too modest, her Ladyship is a _brilliant_ actress. Her command of Juliet is alarmingly compelling.”

Tabby's smile was almost predatory when she stared at Lottie with this new found information. “Perfect, then. Go on, little one. Up to the stage. I must see this brilliance for myself!” She fanned her hands out to usher the two of them off and Harriet made certain to guide the shaking little Lottie up to the stairs and then on the stage warmed by the lights.

She leaned down to Lottie's ear and could scent her nervousness. Upon handing her the small kitten she had plucked up from the floor, she said softly, “You're brilliant, Little Lottie. You need no instruction. You play my Juliet and I will play your Romeo and everything will be well.”

This seemed to have the intended effect, the tenseness in Lottie's shoulders lessening as she came to a point and then faced Harriet, the kitten in her hands purring and content. She was more than pretty. In the dim lights of the theater, she was gorgeous and, if allowed the limelight, she would have been intensely beautiful—the perfect Juliet. Lottie swallowed, staring over at Harriet with an odd sort of determination in her gaze. Those big eyes were to be her undoing, she thought with a sigh, and though this was everything she had dreamed of along the way here since she had laid her fingers to Lottie's lips, a moroseness rose in her chest.

_I cannot be with her. I cannot be so selfish. I cannot have her and hold her as my Juliet. There are too many things standing between us._

Still, she pushed those thoughts aside when Lottie's little voice rang clear and her eyes never wavered upon Harriet's. “ _Hist! Romeo, hist! O, for a falconer's voice, to lure this tassel-gentle back again! Bondage is hoarse, and may not speak aloud; else would I tear the cave where Echo lies, and make her airy tongue more hoarse than mine, with repetition of my Romeo's name._ ”

In the carriage, it had taken Lottie a little time to ease into the depth of Juliet's character but now, as she held Harriet's gaze, it was as though the Juliet within her had never left her. For a moment, Harriet was shocked but she recovered quickly, taking a step toward Lottie in her passion. “ _It is my soul that calls upon my name: How silver-sweet sound lovers' tongues by night, like softest music to attending ears!_ ”

“ _Romeo!_ ”

“ _My Dear?_ ”

“ _At what o'clock to-morrow shall I send to thee?_ ”

“ _At the hour of nine._ ”

“ _I will not fail: 'tis twenty years till then. I have forgot why I did call thee back.”_

Harriet's smile was that of a lover and she could not suppress it. “ _Let me stand here till thou remember it._ ”

“ _I shall forget, to have thee still stand there, remembering how I love thy company._ ” Lottie's little telling grin was playful as Juliet should have been—a gentle child's soul and the miscreant youthful love of her boy. Her wistfulness at having to allow her Romeo to leave her—Harriet never wished for that again. Should she be able to share in the joy and laughter and tears of her Little Lottie for every night even if she should lay upon the floor the rest of their days: that would preferable to ever going to bed alone again even among the softest of nests.

“ _And I'll still stay, to have thee still forget, forgetting any other home but this._ ” Oh how true were these words? How brilliantly they depicted her own longing and pining for the one love she could not have? How true was it, then, that Lottie should have been her lover trapped upon the balcony and that she should be lost and low among the weeds staring up at her as she shined sweet in the moonlight? She could have fallen upon her knees and begged for Lottie to realize the meaning of Harriet's portrayal of Romeo—how _apt!_ How utterly apt of this damnable play!

Lottie held up the little cat, admiring it as though a prop. “ _'Tis almost morning; I would have thee gone: And yet no further than a wanton's bird; who lets it hop a little from her hand, like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves, and with a silk thread plucks it back again, so loving-jealous of his liberty._ ”

“ _I would I were thy bird._ ” _Or cat_ , she thought with humor.

“ _Sweet, so would I: Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing. Good night, good night! parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow._ ”

“ _Sleep dwell upon thine eyes, peace in thy breast! Would I were sleep and peace, so sweet to rest! Hence will I to my ghostly father's cell, his help to crave, and my dear hap to tell._ ” After her line, she let it linger for a little longer and then straightened and put her hands out to Lottie, palms up. The girl came to her, a wide smile upon her face.

“Did I do well, Alpha?”

“You were wonderful,” she murmured, leaning down to her dark curls and whispering. “ _My Juliet._ ” The result was predictable, the girl turning beet red down to her toes while her breath was lost to a little hum in her throat. Had there not been a little kitten in her hands, Harriet was certain she would have been twisting them up near her shoulders once more.

A fierce clapping sounded from the seats and Tabby was standing on her feet, her eyes glittering. “Lady _Lottie!_ ” she cried. “You are not _set_ upon going to Durham, are you? Why, you are an absolutely _necessary_ addition. I have not seen such emotion poured into Juliet! It was as though you were _there yourself_ , the true and lively little Juliet so madly in love with her Romeo! How daring you were, how wistful! In only a few lines you captivated me and of course you know the whole of the play as you are so well-educated. Goodness, goodness me!” She patted her hands on her face, looking around herself as if wondering what in the world to do next. “And of course you are perfect, you are traveling with the enigmatic and handsome Rhet Reed—of _course_ she would find a Juliet to her Romeo!” She patted Harriet's elbows with her gloved hands. “You were so perfect for her, Miss Reed. So perfect! Across from her on the stage, one would think you actual lovers!”

This was the moment that Harriet was to blush.

“You simply _must_ put on a production together. We must do it. Romeo and Juliet with the both of you!”

Stanton cleared his throat. “Madam, if you don't recall, you've already cast the role of Romeo...”

Harriet lamented as well. “Unfortunately Lady Lottie's flight to Durham is a bit...urgent, as I understand it.”

“One night!” she implored, her eyes boring into Harriet's as she gripped her sleeves. “One night. Tomorrow night! One night with the other actors who know the play. Please.” She moved to Lottie, gently touching her fingertips beneath Lottie's soft chin to gather her whole attention and admire her face. “You are so lovely and you will bring _true love and true life_ into my theater. Please. I beg of you. Stay for tomorrow night and bring me Romeo and Juliet. I fear that it will ruin my own subsequent production but how can I resist the draw?! The two of you...it was as though you were _meant to be!_ ” Tears began to form in her eyes and she let loose a few bizarre and dramatic sobs before she put the back of her hand to her forehead and retreated away from the troupe to a side door.

Once she was completely gone, Lottie squeaked, “Miss Tabitha is very odd.”

There was a pause and then Stanton quipped, “Oh, her name is Nettie. Not Tabitha. Though we do call her Tabs and Tabby far too often...”

Lottie frowned. “Oh...is it the cats?”

“No...well...yes, I think she thinks so. I suppose it's not very flattering, is it?”

Harriet interjected, “Well. What do you say, all? Of course, it is Lottie's decision in the end. One night?”

The troupe displayed their interest, nodding all around until their collective stare was focused upon the girl at hand who shrank at their attention.

“Lottie?” Harriet asked softly, keeping her voice low and purring, “Would you like to be my Juliet?”

Her voice was small. “Will you kiss me?”

“That is what is in the script, yes.”

“I...I suppose that will be acceptable...yes. One night. No more than that. I do not wish to be in danger...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's allllllll about the kissin'. Everyone remember, my Tumblr is existent but defunct. If you want to touch base with me, your best option is Twitter. @actualadultJD is my most active and public one. @JD_Riley19 is my nsfw and less active. Both are acceptable options for you.


	9. Chapter 9

“There are so many people...” Lottie murmured, mostly to herself. Despite the very late announcement that there would be an impromptu play, it seemed to Lottie that there were a great number of folks gathering about to watch her make an utter fool out of herself. She was already in her make up and her costume and she couldn't believe how quickly the staff backstage had been able to get everyone ready. Now that she was here, of course, she was worried. What if she forgot her lines? What if something else horrible happened? What if the whole of the theater laughed at her?

Of course, it couldn't be any worse than the time she had accidentally spilled punch all over Lord Mercer at Lady Cartwright's ball and he had yelled at her. Everyone in the room had turned to look at what a fool she was and they'd all been whispering terrible things about her. If that weren't enough, the other Omegas had refused to even look at her for the rest of the night and she'd been locked out of the cluster as though her clumsiness was contagious and there were afraid to catch it. She supposed that if she could survive all of that then she could survive being laughed at by a bunch of people who didn't know who she was in a theater.

The unique scent of Harriet calmed her and she felt the woman behind her almost as if her presence gave her warmth. Her low voice was soothing. “Do you like peering at strangers as they go about their lives? I do. Perhaps there is a story there to be told.” She leaned over so that her head was close to Lottie's shoulder. “That man there. Is he not a grisled old thing? Perhaps he is the aging king of a long-forgotten realm and he's come to England for the sights before he expires and leave his kingdom to his Alpha son.”

“That is ridiculous,” Lottie told her plainly. “He's but an old man. He might be wealthy...”

“Do you not have your imagination tonight, my Lady?”

“I have plenty of imagination.”

“Tell me a story about him.”

Lottie's brows inched inward. “But I do not know him.”

“Make it up. You have your imagination, do you not?”

Even as she opened her mouth, unsure of what she might say, there was another voice that rose from behind them both.

“Come, come!” Tabby urged. “Come now my star and my starlet! I need you both so that I might have the most beautiful play!” She was giving the both of them an odd expression when they turned around and, of course, Lottie could not read it. “Ah I cannot wait for your chemistry—for your acting!”

Everyone bustled about and Lottie felt almost like a doll, sent this way and then that, posed and dusted and led around by numerous stagehands until she was set up for the main event and before she knew it, there was limelight and lines and roles and she had completely forgotten that so many people were watching her or even that there were people there at all! It was easy to remember her lines and easy to remember how the words of the play made her feel. There was nothing that could drive her out of the narrative until...well until Romeo.

_He's so handsome..._ She felt as though she were staring at him with the most lovestruck gaze and those familiar thoughts of _true love_ and of course of _true love's kiss_ were floating around in her mind. She _was_ Juliet, after all, and this _was_ Romeo. Oh but had he not been so perfectly handsome, she might not have been so terribly enamored by his dark hair and shining eyes—his somewhat tanned complexion and his noble Alpha stature.

At the juncture of lust and religion, within that very set of lines that had driven Lottie closer to Romeo from the very beginning inside the carriage only a small time before—she found more than a mere touch of fingertips upon her lips and the world seemed to cease its spinning when Romeo— _Rhet?_ —uttered the line that Lottie had been anxiously waiting for.

_“Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take. Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged.”_

She felt as though her boots were covered in sand and she stood solidly upon the floor of a shallow sea, clear blue water currents allowing her to sway in perfect harmony with the Earth as her Romeo gently moved to dip his head and...

If there was magic in the world, it was in Romeo's kiss. She had never experienced a kiss like this before—one so tender and yet so filled with the promise of something beyond her ken. She felt as though that gentle ocean current could rock her back and forth for eternity and she would be content to rise and fall with it so long as the bliss of this kiss could stay. It was nothing like the kisses stolen by lascivious Alphas in gardens, their mouths searching and damp and their scents filled with a spice that made her gag when they'd quit her. She was no sport for Romeo—she was Juliet. As Tabby had claimed, they were _meant_ to be.

His eyes were deep pools of shining emotion and though in the back of Lottie's mind, she knew this was _acting_ , she still found herself falling face-first into the fantasy. Lines tumbled out of her mouth as if they were her own words and she moved effortlessly without need for choreography for every bit of this world was instinctual—she knew just what to do and it was as though her body moved upon its own accord. Every moment she had to move through without her Romeo, each scene that passed without the unfathomable touch of his gaze was horror and wistful wanting. It had struck her, this cupid's arrow, so deeply that when the last of her breath was drawn and she mourned her Romeo, she could barely see through the tears in her eyes and the thunderous applause that near shook the theater was no more to her than the rush of static that had filled her mind in her truly felt grief.

The safest that she could feel, the most poignant moment, Lottie knew, was in waking from Juliet's dream with warm, strong Alpha arms around her that held her tight and close. Close enough that she could smell _perfectly_ the subtle tones of Rhet's Beta scent, shifting and undulating beneath it all, a mixture of concern and a wild protectiveness that roamed feral through her. She was hugged tight, trembling and still caught in the throes of a distant loss. Wiping her cheeks and face upon Rhet's costume, she lamented that she had smeared her stage make up but, on gazing upward at the Alpha who held her, she forgot it all.

“Rhet...”

“You were wonderful. They love you.” _Love me?_ The Alpha's voice was deep and humming and her arms tight around Lottie's prone form. “You were miraculous, Lottie. A natural. My perfect little Juliet. Now stand with me, little one, we must bow.” She lifted the girl easily, climbing to her feet and waiting for her to gather herself for the bow.

Retreating on shaking legs, she was gathered up by Tabby and the rest of the actors and tossed about while they congratulated her but she could not hear any of their words through the din and confusion. When she was again tugged by Rhet to stand close to her for the curtain call, mashed against the side of her when the massive red curtain was drawn to reveal them, the audience hooting and hollering so loudly that Lottie thought her ears to be ringing. Items were tossed about onto the stage and she was encouraged to bow despite the hail of coins and other items thrown about in merriment. When she was finally allowed to retreat again, she pulled herself to Rhet's warm body and hid her face in the Alpha's chest.

“Do not make me see them again, please,” she begged.

“Of course not, little one. Would you like some time alone?”

“No. Do not leave me.”

Tabby's voice trilled beyond her, “ _Drinks, my lovies! Drinks! We will have a grand old time of it tonight!_ ”

Lottie felt like the world was blurring around her, the shapes of people all she could see as blobs of color which mished and mashed as she held tight to Rhet's solid body and shook her head to everyone who wished to come and congratulate her. No one touched her, accepting that the Alpha was there to keep them at a good distance and, thankfully, accepting that she was far too raw after her performance. Surely they _knew_ , Lottie thought. Surely they could not hold it against her.

“You are alright, little one,” Rhet cooed every so often, taking her to a small area off to the side of the theater where the sound was not so raucous and there was a bit of peace to be found. “I've brought you some wine if you're interested. You need not let go of me. There is room for you and a glass near to me.”

Lottie accepted it without a word and gulped at its contents, pleased to find it sweet rather than dry and easy enough to swallow. She had finished it so quickly that Rhet had yet to even put the bottle down before she was filling up the globe again. This time she took it only a little slower. “Thank you,” she peeped. “Thank you, Alpha...”

“I don't suppose you will hold me in contempt for telling you that you were absolutely marvelous?”

Lottie finished her wine yet again, watching her glass fill up once more. “I...I cannot think that it was even myself who was upon that stage. It is like remembering some sort of dream.”

“A dream in which you were a brilliant and accomplished actress? Perhaps you should dream more often, Lady Lottie, for you have crafted a _persona_ that is perfection at every turn. Should we all be so gifted, there would be no need for the schools of art.”

“Please...do not give me any more compliments, Alpha. I cannot take them. It has been taxing for me to...to _become_ someone...not me. I cannot explain it.”

Rhet's hand sifted into her dark curls to comfort her. “Say no more, little Lady Lottie. You do not have to explain yourself to me, of all people. Whenever you should wish to go to your quarters and to sleep and craft more peaceful dreams...we will go.”

“Will you go with me?” she asked, her lips beginning to numb with drink.

“If that is what you desire, I shall go with you. I have no qualms with sleeping near to you. Perhaps it will keep your admirers at bay and make Tabs quite thrilled.”

Lottie frowned, feeling the cloud of the wine descend over her like a comforting veil. “Why should Miss Tabby be thrilled about something like that?”

Rhet laughed, the sound low and deep and feminine in her chest. “Perhaps you should ask her.”

“I will!” Lottie said, letting Rhet go suddenly and peering through the actors and invited guests who had piled into the extra spaces in the theater for their celebration. “Or...perhaps I will not. I do not see her and I fear stumbling...and being touched.”

“Being touched?” Rhet asked, sipping her own drink where she sat upon a stool.

Lottie whirled around again, finding that the environment around her had to catch up to her eyesight, providing a bit of spin as her wine sloshed over her hand. She gulped at it to lessen the amount in the glass and prevent it from happening again. “Well it is not so terrible to be touched by you, Alpha. In fact...I rather like it.”

Rhet was smiling warmly. “I like it too, my Lady. Very much. You are a sweet and soft little Omega. You're easy to like.”

“I'm easy to pull outside and kiss,” she provided simply.

“Is this a complaint against yourself or an advertisement to me?”

She had to think for a few moments before she replied, “A little bit of both. I was not so difficult to corner in the ballrooms. Though...” she looked about, “I seem to have cornered _you_.”

“I am the one in the corner here, that is certain,” Rhet chuckled. “But what can you do with me?”

“I could kiss you,” she said, her tongue feeling loose in her mouth and her lips and nose definitely numb now. “But I shouldn't. Not in front of so many people.”

“Are you going to lure me outside?”

“I shall!” she announced, taking another gulp of her wine. “Come, Alpha, be a dear and escort me to the garden.”

“I don't believe there is a garden...though there is a terrace.”

“Off to the terrace!”

Rhet was still grinning, sipping her drink as she stood and wandered her way off with Lottie through the crowds of people. She didn't pause at all, keeping in line with Lottie and putting out her hand to passively warn off anyone who might seek to approach the Omega. Of course, the girl couldn't see the expression on Rhet's face—and even if she could, what good would that do her?—but those who did see it seemed eager to move and allow her clear passage.

The terrace was cool and there was but one reveler who leaned against the stone railing and turned about when they emerged from the doors.

“Ah,” Rhet greeted, “Mr. Thorne. I thought you were still in London.”

“Miss. Reed,” Thorne smiled, “I thought you were off in the middle of nowhere performing for the provincials in their taverns or whatever it is that they have.”

Lottie blinked. Was this the man that Aiden had mentioned before? Buck? Buck Thorne? She brandished her wine glass. “Buck!”

He started, his eyes darting to her. His smile broadened. “Little Omega, by God, _you_. _You were brilliant._ ”

“I remembered your name,” she told him, satisfied with herself.

“And to hear it from your lips is a blessing befitting a saint who has been graced by the voice of angels...” He approached delicately, seeming to come toward her indirectly as if approaching a wild animal. “Juliet. Juliet, Juliet, _Juliet_. Forgive me but Tabby has convinced you to stay, has she not? Your passion, the wonder you've inspired...it has left me awe-struck and to think that I...” His eyes flitted back to Rhet and then down again to Lottie... “Well...” He composed himself, “I'm getting ahead of myself. Yes. I am Buck Thorne and I am the Cardinal Theatre's Romeo...that is, if Rhet has not just wrenched the role from my grip for leaning upon the wonderous skill of our Juliet.”

Rhet, for her part, remained uniquely unaffected by this _Buck Thorne's_ rudeness but Lottie did, even drunk, manage to parse out what he'd said enough to pick into his meaning.

Lottie took another sip of her wine, this one the last. She set it down unsteadily upon the stone railing closest to her. “You, sir, do not give enough credit. Without Rhet, I should have never even touched a toe upon the stage. Nor would I have had even the most simple of introductions to acting.”

“Is that so? It is a wonder then that you can even prance over the stage, little one. Rhet has yet to even win a single critic's heart in London, though her reputation across the more common areas seems to be decent enough. Have you even been in a London production?” Buck asked Rhet with a sneer.

“I need not bother myself with such trifles as to where my next meal comes from. That it does come is enough for me.” Rhet was examining her nails, as if completely unruffled. Her scent did not change. “Do you think about that often, Buck? That you must consistently lick a man's boots for your next role?”

“Better to lick his boots than to suck his prick, Alpha.”

“Oh, I seem to have struck a nerve,” Rhet smiled blandly. “My Lady, our dear Mr. Thorne seems to be testy tonight. I believe that he was looking to ask you if you might stay here to perform as Juliet for the duration of the play.”

Buck seemed alarmed at this, his statements stuttering, “I-I...l-little Omega do not listen to this selfish and wanton upstart. I promise you that you have not yet even begun to discover the true essence of Romeo. Not until you have seen him from me.”

“I believe,” Rhet mused, “that Buck wishes he could ride your pretty little coat tails in the same manner as that which he has accused me. Could you imagine, my love?”

_Love?_

“Oh dear,” Lottie said, turning toward Rhet with her eyes wide upon the Alpha's face. “Rhet? Alpha? I care not to be anyone else's Juliet. I cannot, aside, but if I were to be...then I should want it to be you who is my Romeo. I do not think myself even able to step upon a stage without you.”

Buck stepped forward, “Nonsense, pet.”

“Hush!” Lottie snapped over her shoulder, effectively shutting out the annoying Alpha whose scent was wafting to her every so often with the breeze, boring in its earthy Alpha tones. When she turned her attentions back to Rhet, her mouth was completely numb and she had to hold the Alpha's shirt to keep from tipping. “I have decided something, Alpha.”

“Oh? What is that, little one?”

“I am...enchanted by you. As though a woman struck by a spell. I think...well gracious, I think I'm falling in love with you as bizarre as that might sound.”

“No...” Rhet murmured, “Odd as it is...it does not sound bizarre at all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you hear that? It was the sound of Buck's massive glass ego shattering. Hurricane Lottie is at full force.


	10. Chapter 10

The first thing was first, of course: Lottie was far too inebriated for any of this to happen in public and so Harriet looked up from her straight to Buck who seemed to be far out of his depth with his glass of claret in his hand and a completely dumfounded expression on his face.

“Mr. Thorne, perhaps you would give us a moment?”

Still utterly lost, Buck obeyed, wandering as if a man out at sea who had just found himself beached on a deserted island. He managed to return to the party inside, his motions that of a man entirely adrift in a sea of profound confusion. It would be best for him to drown this rejection in the rest of the night's champagne, Harriet thought. He perhaps had never met an Omega who had not been dripping over him and perfectly willing to lay themselves down for him. No, she amended, he had met Thurston before...

“Lottie, darling and my sweet,” she began in a soft tone, her heart suddenly aching with the prospect of bursting the girl's perfect and wonderful bubble of contentment.

“Oh, don't quit speaking to me in such beautiful compliments, Alpha.” Her smile was practically infectious, her little giggles at the ends of her sentences fine and tingling as those that formed in fermented wine. “I think I really am rather fond of thoughts of you. I can still feel your kisses as Romeo. But...more than Romeo. Rhet? May I call you Rhet? Or shall I call you Harriet? Which is the more intimate? I wish for that one, whichever it shall be.” She held Harriet's sleeves, gripping rhythmically and pulling herself closer until she was wrapping her arms around Harriet's waist and burying her face against her chest. “Will you stay with me tonight, Alpha? Will you hold me?”

“Lottie, there is something small of which I should remind you before you are to go about and hold onto this fantasy of me.” She frowned, her brain arguing against her heart in the most vicious of terms. By all accounts, she wished that she could keep this Omega forever. But it was not to be. The first of her issues was not the last of them and there was no manner of logic that could support such a match.

“What could you possibly tell me that would ruin the perfection of my infatuation?” she asked, squeezing Harriet about the middle tightly.

“I am not a suitable match for you, my dear.” Even as she said it, she cradled the back of Lottie's head and held her gently.

“I do not think you know anything about suitable matches,” Lottie told her, reaching up to take the front of Harriet's costume in hand to pull her down into a kiss far more scorching than those of the passionate Juliet Capulet.

“Mmm...” Harriet tried, her mind screaming at her that this was in no fashion acceptable in the least and yet—yet! She could not stop this. Lottie in this form was like a hurtling train, crashing through the countryside and runaway with no means of stopping. She was a force like that of a storm swell, capsizing Harriet's lone schooner adrift and in irons. There was no argument against this and by God, Harriet wished she had none! She moaned into Lottie's mouth, surrendering to her potent and forceful will so far as to eagerly kiss her back for the mango-sweet dew of her mouth was intoxicating.

Unsuitable? Suitable? Was it true what they said about mates that could come together at the oddest of moments in their lives and discover so unwillingly sometimes that they were the truest of matches despite their circumstances? Was the fairy tale of _truemates_ something that could possibly be entertained?

No, no. Of course not, Harriet reminded herself even as she moved to hold Lottie in her arms and keep her small body pressed tightly against hers. It was all the champagne talking. It was all the gin. All the whiskey. All the claret! Surely it was the liquor that had made her think that the sweetest of women and the most delicate of Omegas could possibly be connected to her upon such a spiritual level as to be her most compatible match on Earth!

_Oh my god, I'm in love with her and this is the worst thing that could possibly happen to the both of us. Why can I not stop myself from kissing her? Why can I not bring myself to pull away from her and keep her safe from my own deviant will! To be discovered as a Beta would be terrible for me but even worse for her should we be bound together._

Harriet pulled away from the kiss only to be brought back to it by Lottie's hands upon her cheeks and she surrendered again. She was drowning in this beautiful girl and the erotic sounds of their mouths playing together in a salacious battle of wills. There was naught she could do to fight this. The feel of the girl's body tucked up close to hers was for certain her undoing and she slid her palms appreciatively over Lottie's back before she buried her fingers into the tresses of her hair, those luxuriant curls impossible to forget. The way the tendrils snaked around her fingers and ensnared her felt like some hideous parallel to how the siren had entrapped her soul.

Drawn by the girl to the side of the theater, they were hidden from the view of the french doors, the Omega's back against the stonework as she moved to enclose herself within the small space of Harriet's embrace. It was a half-conscious effort, Harriet knew, to make her world smaller for the moment and she couldn't fight against something so clearly wanted by this sweet little thing begging for taste. When their corner of the world was well and truly made, Lottie tilted her head to the side—a thing mentioned to debutantes as a motion so forbidden in gardens and parlors that Harriet balked for a moment.

“Lottie...”

“Mmmf...” she replied, her eyes closed and her chin jutted defiantly to the side.

Deviant, this girl was. Deviant and defiant and she would not hear any argument against the action. That much was obvious, at the very least. Harriet's heart beat hard in her chest as she suddenly took a step back from the girl, staring down at her in a frank consternation. “Lottie...I...I'm _not_ an Alpha.”

The girl slowly turned her head up, her scent faltering a little and her wide, doe eyes blinking in soft flutters. “Umm?”

“I...I cannot be with you, little one. I am wholly unsuitable. Not only for my rank in society but also...I am not Alpha...to be with you would be...a mistake.”

“A...mis...” Lottie couldn't even finish the word, her hands coming to her gown and pressing against the folds, wiping downward nervously before clamping into the fabric. “Mmm...mmm...mmm...” she hummed to herself, her eyes flitting this way and that before she nervously darted off to the side and through the french doors into the theater.

“Lottie!” Harriet cried after her, running through the crowd and spilling several glasses of champagne on the way as she pounded through the bodies around her to follow the little Omega as she weaved and bobbed toward their private rooms. “Lottie please!” She did not wait and disappeared quickly into the room designated for her but neglected to lock it. Harriet barged in after her, finding the girl then facing the door with her hands twisting into her gown, grasping at her skirts while she hummed loudly. “Lottie, please. Please listen to me. I know you are quite drunk at current but I cannot allow you to truly compromise yourself and give me things that I honestly do not deserve. Things like your scent...things like your uncontrolled kisses...I am _not_ an Alpha and thus I _cannot_ be _your_ Alpha. Do you understand?”

“Mmmm...mmmm...mmmm...” She was shaking her head back and forth vacantly, her eyes constantly on the floor.

“Lottie...” Her heart hurt. She wanted this girl. She wanted to be an Alpha—a _true_ Alpha—so badly in this moment that she could have screamed at God above for having cursed her so in keeping her a worthless Beta. “Lottie don't do this to me. You've known this. You've known I was a Beta. You've known that to be with me would be wrong.”

“ _Wrong!?_ ” Lottie blurted loudly. She closed her eyes as tight as she could. “You think I'm! You think I'm! _Wrong!?_ For. _For!_ ”

“Oh gracious,” she struggled, “That is not at all what I'm driving at...how do I explain this?” Harriet could feel a mounting panic in her chest as Lottie's scent rotted and she moved her hands to her mouth, placing hard bites down into the backs of her delicate fingers. Tears started to fall and Harriet did the only thing she could think of—she hugged. She hugged _tight._ Her hug was so tight that she felt Lottie making aborted attempts to move within it, her body twitching over and over until she had settled, her breaths coming more evenly as her panic died down. “Now that I have you trapped, will you listen to me, little one?”

Lottie softly nodded against Harriet's chest.

“Alright. I'm not letting you go.”

A muffled and squeaky “ _Please don't..._ ” met her ears.

“Alright. You see, Lottie...we were not meant to be. It is not so simple to be you and I, an Omega and a Beta. Do you understand?”

She didn't reply.

“Oh dear...I'm afraid you do not. Oh dear me. You are perhaps a small bit too drunk to understand fully. I will...I will stay here with you, if you wish it, but I will sleep upon the floor again. It seems I cannot trust myself completely with you.”

“ _I do not want you to..._ ”

“If only it were so simple. If only I were blessed with the nature of Mr. Thorne. With the Alpha traits you should require.”

Lottie went suddenly limp in her arms, tears soaking into the front of her costume as the girl gave up.

“Oh please do not, Omega.”

Hiccuping sobs met her ears and there was no more she could glean from the girl. Forced to concede, Harriet laid Lottie down upon her bed and tucked her in tight with the sheets and the quilts, coming back from her own room and fashioning a small area for herself to rest on the floor. She lay awake for most of the night, staring at the ceiling after Lottie had let out all of her weeping and fallen into a fitful sleep.

Weary and feeling as though she had been dragged from the stirrup of a horse for a few miles, Harriet managed to pull herself up the next morning and make arrangements for the coach to take the both of them over the next leg of their journey to Durham. The theater was strewn with the sleeping forms of revelers and somehow she managed to find Thurston among the mess of them, waking him only as far as to leave him with a small note tucked into his pocket detailing her intentions after her quest was over.

Despite it having only been a few days since she had met the little Lady Lottie, the Omega had become her world—to break her heart, even if the blow could have been softened by drink, was murder upon her conscience. She came back to Lottie's room and gathered the little one into her arms, plucking up the little black void of a kitten that was curled upon the counterpane and settling him onto her broad shoulder. Lottie was still snoozing in her alcohol-induced slumber. Within the coach, she bundled the girl up in multiple soft traveling blankets and held her as the coach began to jostle as they made their way from Bristol.

It would be a long ride to Durham and of course it was going to be strange, sitting alone with the girl whose heart she had so very clearly broken only hours prior. She peered out the window, watching the landscape ease past them as the horses picked their way out of the city and the houses gave way to fields and open countryside. Lottie did not wake until at least eleven o'clock and when she did, she stretched and mewled and resisted the process, snuggling mindlessly into Harriet's form which only gave Harriet the hope that perhaps the girl would not remember the most of the second half of the evening.

All the hope in the world could not make it be so. As soon as Lottie awoke and was coherent enough to function, she peered blearily into Harriet's eyes and then suddenly backed away, gathering herself and running her fingers through her mussed up hair. Her eyes blinked slowly as she tried to regain her bearings and her sudden and deep breaths in through her nose were indicative of the difficulty of her state of mind. A morning after a night of indulgence was never the most pleasant of feelings. Her voice was hoarse and husky from sleep.

“Oh god. I feel like I've been trampled by a team of thoroughbreds.”

Harriet smiled sadly. “I'm afraid you had quite the night last night. It will take a little while for your aches to go away. When we get to the next inn, of course, for luncheon, we can get some willow bark for your tea. That should help.”

“Mmm...” She was frowning, seeming to recall everything that had occurred the night previous and, without saying any more, she distracted herself with her eyes unfocused out the window. With Lottie awake, of course, the little black kitten dislodged himself from Harriet's shoulder and clawed his way painfully down her arm to come to Lottie's lap where he enjoyed her absentminded petting. Her scent was musky and bitter but only in waves and still mingling within a sweetness that underscored everything. She was, of course, an optimist, Harriet thought with a sigh.

They remained silent for the better part of an hour and could probably have remained in stasis like this for the rest of their lives had Lottie not been...well... _Lottie._

“Do all Betas mourn themselves?” she asked into the silence of the coach, breaking Harriet's daydreams into pieces.

“Excuse me?”

“Do all Betas mourn themselves? Like you?”

“I'm afraid I...I don't understand the question.”

She sighed, not looking over at her. “When one does not present as an Alpha or an Omega but one has all the other prerequisites, like you have, does one always have to mourn it? Why not embrace it? After all, at the very least, you do not have to deal with heats and all the unpleasantness that comes along with them.”

Harriet studied her, noting the tenseness in her form. “I suppose we do have a tendency to mourn. If only because there is an aspect of life that we will never be a part of. We will never understand it. It is commonly thought that Betas are...neglected in such a way. Cursed or something...”

“It seems only a boon to me. You do not have the burden of instinct.”

“Some do not consider instinct a burden,” she replied. “After all, it helps Omegas find mateship, does it not? If you did not have your instinct, how would you find your mate?”

Lottie was quiet. When she could not answer, she changed the subject. “Have you ever mated with someone, Beta?”

Harriet's lips thinned. “Are you asking because you're curious as to the mechanics or because you're curious as to who I've bedded?”

“I'm curious as to how Rhet Reed became such an attractive Alpha without having asserted her dominance here and there. I'm curious how you managed to handle lovesick Omegas who were intent to find pleasure with you.”

She took in a steeling breath. This was beginning to feel quite like an interrogation she didn't wish to be subjected to. “Are you asking this because you're jealous, my Lady?”

“Perhaps I am!” she snipped, her frown deepening. “How do the Omegas react to you when they find out that you're not really an Alpha? Or have you never bedded them because you think it disgusting to be with them the way you think it disgusting to be with me?” Tears glittered in her eyes.

“My Lady,” she said, her tone severe and her eyes wide toward the trembling Omega, “Let me get one thing straightened out here. I do not think you disgusting in any fashion at all. I do not think you wrong for your tastes, especially since your tastes include me and I am far too blessed to even begin upon that account.” She sighed again. “Our circumstances are merely _too different_ to match together and should someone discover that I am a Beta and reveal to everyone that we've been together, it would _ruin you_.”

“What if I want to be ruined?”

“Not that kind of ruined, my Lady. A worse kind of ruined.”

She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffled. “I don't care what kind of ruined. If you were an Alpha, Harriet, would you...would you be with me? Even despite the circumstances of class? If I wanted it, would you?”

Harriet hesitated. How could she possibly say no? Should she have been an Alpha, her arrogance and ultimate confidence would never allow her to give up on an Omega she truly wanted. No. _Needed_.

“I...well should I have been born an Alpha...I...I would have...” _Fought for you. Died for you. Done everything in my power to destroy those who sought to destroy you._ “Yes. I would...”

Lottie's eyes only glanced over her and she was still frowning when she said softly into the charged atmosphere of the coach, “I would have liked that...very much, _Alpha_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're doomed, Harriet. Just accept it.
> 
> Remember, if you have a Twitter, come follow me @actualadultJD.


	11. Chapter 11

They traveled for another day or so and each stretch of their journey seemed to Lottie to become shorter and shorter. It was only because despite everything that had come between them, she did not wish to be separated from Harriet. Now that she knew her—and thought she knew here quite well compared to the other people in her life—it would be terrible to find her having been just a fleeting bit of joy in her life. What strange cruel fate had twisted its fingers into her life to bring her such a wonderous feeling and then in a fit could tear it all up as though the flowers of happiness offended them? What cruel master? What cruel God? She knew she was pouting and that Harriet probably felt useless to help.

Harriet _did_ feel useless to help, she thought hopefully. Or perhaps she did not feel anything at all. An _actress_ , of course could fib all she wanted and show things to the outside world that were not true in the slightest—was that what had happened? Had she gotten so caught up in the role she was to play as Lottie's protector that something slipped through and she had gotten caught in Lottie's web of emotions? No. That couldn't possibly be right. She reminded herself of Harriet's words to her, jumbling them all around in her head to glean some kind of meaning out of them that was beyond what was stated plainly.

It was no use. She was terrible at coming up with the hidden meanings behind words or phrases and it was useless to try. Lottie simply did not have it in her to pick through everything and try to make things up to hang onto—and what was the use of it anyhow? Harriet would bring her to Durham, to Josephine's home in the country, and then she would be gone. There would be an Alpha there to protect Lottie as well as plenty of servants about and her uncle would have no legal recourse to collect her as he was _not_ her ruling Alpha—nobody was.

Her brows perked up as her thoughts seemed to repeat that over and over.

_Nobody was._

Circumstances like hers were relatively rare where the courts could not always decide upon who would be the next Alpha to take care of an Omega and the duty fell to the closest one. Her eyes flicked to Harriet. At this point in time, _Harriet_ was Lottie's ruling Alpha. The thought put a warmth into her face and then down her arms into her hands. She wished that the coach would break an axle and she would be stuck with the woman. She wished that she had time to convince her to...to defy convention? To throw social acceptability by the wayside? Lottie wished that she could be _good enough_ , she supposed. Good enough and pretty enough to force Harriet to decide against her better judgment to...to...

Lottie's face blazed with heat. _To marry me._

All of a sudden, her desperation seemed to come to a head and she realized that she was rubbing her hands fervently over her lap, gripping at her gown and crumpling the muslin. The coach had pulled up the long drive to Josephine's home, the estate a sprawling bit of the countryside and the house a decadent manor that towered beside a picturesque lake surrounded on one side by a dense forest and home to a few water fowl who bobbed pleasantly in the breeze.

“Are you nervous to see your friend again, my Lady?” Harriet asked, oblivious as to the true reason for her fidgeting. “You have not told me about her...did you meet her in London?”

Lottie swallowed, suddenly brought back in her mind to the night she met Josephine Brewer in the large golden ballroom of the Hayworth Town Manor. The girl was incredibly beautiful with a hint of red in her blonde hair and her eyes a shining golden brown. She had been the one to stumble upon Lottie and the horrible Alpha who had stolen her off into the garden and when the man had discarded her upon being found, Jo had come to her aide. Of course, that was what any respectful Omega would do, Lottie had rationalized, but it seemed from then on that the girl was far more watchful over Lottie even as she was consistently pressed to the edges of the cluster. Jo had, several times, stepped in front of Lottie and engaged gentlemen in dances and at the first, Lottie had thought her merely industrious in finding a match. Eventually she had discovered that Jo had been martyring herself for Lottie's sake.

The girl cleared her throat delicately as the shadow of the house came over the coach. “Jo and I did meet in London, yes. We were debutantes in the Season together...she was kind to me.”

“One would be a fool not to be. Though I suppose there have been a wealth of fools in London of late,” Harriet muttered, frowning to herself.

 _There have been a wealth of fools in this coach,_ Lottie thought savagely.

They rolled to a stop in front of the large marble steps and the driver opened the door. With her feet on the stone drive, she rustled out her skirts and was delighted to find that Josephine had rushed out of the front doors to meet her, as eager as ever to be the first upon the scene.

“Lottie!” she cried out, fair leaping down the steps until she could throw her arms around Lottie's shoulders in a tight squeeze. “You look absolutely ragged from your journey, you must come in and rest! I'll have a bath drawn for you and your companion and you may sleep as long as you need. There is a warm fire and tea for you whenever you need it, my dear, oh my love, oh my closest friend!”

Lottie snickered a bit at the girl's theatrics, hugging her back with a bit of a tentativeness that was characteristic of her nature. “You do not have to be so dramatic all the time, Jo.”

“What?” she gasped, holding Lottie at arm's-length. “What do you mean by that? I'm not dramatic! You should know me well enough by now to know that I only convey my _truest_ of emotions.” She laughed, clearly tickled by her own words. “I am _always_ genuine. That is why you like me.”

Well, Lottie had to concede, the girl wasn't wrong. She had become so disillusioned by the round-about ways of speaking between those in London that finding out that Jo meant _exactly_ what she said nearly _all the time_ was something of a Godsend. She and the other girl who the Omegas didn't always like...what was her name? Watson? They had always only spoken plainly to Lottie...it had been at least one decent thing about having spent any time in London at all. She nodded resolutely, “I do like you, that much is true. And it is convenient that you like me since we have much plotting to do.”

“You were far too cryptic in your letter to me. Plotting?” Her eyes sparkled. “I do like the sound of that. You know how much I love a good intrigue. Pray, Lottie, introduce me to this handsome Alpha you've brought with you.” She cocked a brow toward Harriet, her eyes clearly taking in every bit of Harriet's form.

Lottie felt the oddest welling of jealousy and tried to quash it. “Well um...this is Rhet. Rhet Reed.”

Jo took in a delighted little gasp. “No! You haven't! You haven't brought _Rhet Reed_ to me. Why, Madam Alpha, you are chatted about in nearly all the decent parlors these days.” She held out her delicate little hand and Harriet bowed and then gave the backs of her fingers a chaste peck.

Harriet's voice was low and diplomatic. “That is surprising as I consider myself rather unnoticed...I have yet to find a play that will take me in London.”

“All the better for the mystery of you. I've friends who've gone traveling to see you, you know. There was a writer in the _Times_ recently who'd managed to catch a peek at you and wrote a darling piece about how wonderful you were. I do not think he fully grasped how delectable you look...how in the world did you manage to get roped into acting guardian?”

Harriet smiled politely. “My aunt happened to be a servant in Lady Lottie's household. I understand this was a daring escape.”

“And she comes here to chide _me_ about my theatrics when she's been traveling with a handsome, roguish actor herself.” Jo grinned. “Come inside, both of you. You must be famished. I scarce know what to do with you first, feed you or bathe you.”

It came to pass that Lottie was bathed first and, skipping a nap, she donned a lightweight gown and picked her way down to Jo where she sat an out-of-the-way parlor reading. A tray of biscuits and small sandwiches was sitting off to the side along with tea and a bit of sherry. She joined her friend, peering about the room to make certain there were no ears about which brought Jo to sit up in anticipation. The girl always seemed to know when there was something interesting about to be said, her gold-brown eyes lighting up expectantly.

“Jo, I need you help.”

“Of course you do, that's why you're here.”

She nodded and sighed. “I think my cousin is going to force me to marry him. You know that whomever should marry me will take control of my father's estate and...well...”

“And that odious Wilfred will take whatever he pleases,” she said in a dark tone. “We will have to plot your way out of this one...oh! Gracious, I already have an idea!”

“You do?” Lottie snatched up a small sandwich and sat down across from her friend with a huff. “I couldn't think of anything to do about it on the whole of the way here and now in a single moment you've come up with a solution?”

“Well it's not a perfect solution,” Jo explained. “You are certainly free to tell me that it is unacceptable to you.”

“I'll first have to hear it.”

“You remember my brother, Remmy?”

She did. He was a tall Alpha with a stinging, earthy scent. He had the same mischievous golden-brown eyes as his sister and a similar strawberry blonde in his tousled hair. He was handsome by conventional means and he was very polite though a bit stand-offish if she remembered correctly which she always did. Lottie nodded, taking a tiny bite of her little sandwich.

“He's visiting for a few weeks here which is surely providence—since you two should simply be married.”

Lottie could have spit out her sandwich. _Married? To Rembrandt Brewer?_

“Jo, I don't...” she tried, swallowing her bit of sandwich. “I don't think Remmy would want to marry me.”

“Nonsense, he thinks you're quite pretty. He told me so himself during our Season.”

“Thinking one is quite pretty and wishing to marry them are very different,” Lottie told her friend, her stomach doing flips as she stared at the rest of her morsel. She wasn't certain if she could finish it with how nervous she suddenly felt. “Aside, your brother is very handsome but...but...”

“He does care about you, Lottie. And you did dance with him once or twice.”

“Twice,” she mumbled, finally putting the rest of her food in her mouth.

“He does not seem the type to be a knight in shining armor but I think he will do the job suitably. He's got a modest bit of land and if you don't mind a man who gets his hands dirty, he'll be a lovely husband, I'm certain. He has a difficult time getting the Omegas in London to give him the time of day since he isn't terribly rich. Our father has not always been kind to him and it is speculated that he may not inherit...but all of that should be meaningless to you, shouldn't it?”

“I...I suppose it must be...” Lottie felt her heart squeezing hard in her chest.

“Oh no. I know that scent. You cannot marry my brother can you?”

She darted her eyes up to her friend who was staring at her intently. “What do you mean?”

“You cannot marry him because you're already in love with someone. Oh no.” She put her hand to her mouth and giggled. “You're in love with someone and I know who it _must_ be.”

How in the world could Jo even imagine who Lottie could be in love with? Such assumptions seemed far beyond what Lottie herself could imagine though she should be no stranger by now to those around her being able to somehow read her emotions as if she had written them down and displayed them openly.

“You're in love with your handsome and enigmatic companion. The breaker of hearts herself. How could you not be desperately in love with such a force of nature after all? She's gorgeous.”

“You mean it is only too plain that I am openly pining for Miss Reed,” she replied glumly. “Is it so obvious?”

“Only too. I'm sorry Lottie, but your reluctance to marry my brother despite your desperate circumstances could only be caused by love for another. My brother would make a very suitable husband for you but knowing this, we must plot again!”

“That plot would work if only we could alter the groom.”

Jo gasped suddenly, startling Lottie with her sudden intensity. “ _Brilliant, my love!_ ”

“Brilliant?” she asked, not feeling brilliant at all.

“Yes, my darling. Absolutely! We will devise a plot for Miss Reed to stay here in the house and you and I will conspire to make her fall deeply in love with you. Then you can marry her!”

“Jo...may I confide something to you?”

She blinked. “Of course, Lottie. You are my closest friend. Of course you may confide in me. Have I yet to divulge your secrets?”

It was Lottie's turn to blink. “...No...” Even when she had been taken outside and kissed, Jo had been the only to know of it. The Alphas had not heard of it from her, that was certain. She truly had never gossiped about Lottie in any manner.

“Then confide away!” She smiled warmly, picking up her tea to sip it. “You are so cute with your doubts. I'll have to sweep those away again, won't I? And here I thought I'd cured you by the time we left London. What is this confession?”

“You cannot tell a soul for it is not my secret.”

“Oh dear,” Jo grinned, leaning forward.

“Rhet is...” she whispered in fear that there might have been an ear to the door. “ _...not an Alpha._ ”

Jo couldn't have appeared more over the moon as she sat up and stared at Lottie as though she had just been granted her finest wish. Her hand came to her chest and her voice was breathy. “ _Utterly romantic, my darling._ ”

“Romantic?” Lottie asked, baffled.

“A clandestine love affair, a risk of discovery, a positively incredible plot for a romance...I adore it.” There was a short pause and then she looked at Lottie seriously. “You do know that means you will not bear pups, Lottie.”

“Naturally...”

“But you _will_ marry this woman. I swear it. I do always seem to swear, don't I? No matter. Your rooms are already near to one another and I will be certain to put the two of you together for meals. You should take every opportunity to walk with her in the gardens. They are beautiful this time of year.”

Their conversation was abruptly ended as the door to the parlor opened quietly and the tall form of Rembrandt Brewer slowly entered. He bowed politely to the two Omegas and offered his greeting to Lottie.

“Lady Ottilie, I was told to expect you. You are looking well.”

“And you, Mr. Brewer. You look well also,” she replied, her nose detecting a hint of something off in his scent.

“I managed to come across your guardian on my way to see you,” he supplied, his brows pinching a bit in the center. “A bit of a wildcard, that actor, isn't she? I introduced myself and she struck me as a bit churlish if I may. I hope that she was polite enough to you on your journey.”

Lottie chanced a look at Jo who returned it with alarm.

Jo delicately replied, “I do hope you did not offend our guest, Remmy. Lord knows, the woman just passed over nearly the entire country to deliver our dearest Lottie. She is tired, no doubt, and an Alpha cannot simply let go of their charge without being certain of her welfare...”

“Perhaps that is it,” he supplied, walking over to the sherry and pouring himself a glass. “To speak plainly, it bothers me that she has been alone with you, my Lady. A proper Alpha would have maintained far more distance. She smells of you and you of her.”

Jo snapped at him, “Remmy! How uncouth of you!”

“I apologize,” he said, sounding not at all sorry. “It is only that I find myself fond of you, Lady Lottie, and I cannot help but to remain suspicious of those who may come to take advantage.”

Her mind flitted back to the forceful kiss in the gardens and she felt her lips purse, her hands coming to her skirts to begin a steady rub.

Remmy sipped his sherry, not looking at either of them. “I merely brought myself to ask her what her intentions were toward you, my Lady. I was curious, after all. Her reaction to the simple question raised my suspicions of her. I should insist that you not be caught alone anymore with her, Lady Lottie. I fear for your safety.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> REMMY NO. Remember to come chat with me on Twitter! @actualadultJD


	12. Chapter 12

The nerve of some folk, Harriet fumed, unable to keep still while her body still thrummed and worked off the nervous energy that had been invoked by that nosy prick of an Alpha. She had been surprised to note that the family had placed her in a guest suite rather than the quarters meant for the servants with the cold stone floors and often missing a fireplace. The charming Omega who had been so welcoming was tempered by the actions of this Alpha who seemed to patrol the hall—and by his characteristics, she could not place him as anything but Josephine's sibling or cousin.

_What are your intentions toward our Little Lady Ottilie?_

Well her intentions were to separate herself as painlessly as possible from the seductive and guileless Omega but now, with such a challenge set, she wasn't certain what her intentions could be.

_You lack propriety, madam, and I cannot imagine what sort of acts her Ladyship has endured. We've no assurances and we can only trust that you've been decent with her._

For her morals and integrity to be questioned thusly, it was unthinkable! There had, admittedly, been moments where she had fallen under the spell of Lottie's kiss but that, surely was understandable given the circumstances of their occurrence. Still, she had become defensive and that had put the odious Alpha on edge, a state that was certainly not to Harriet's benefit when it came to helping him to believe that she meant the little Lady no harm.

_I should beg you to leave as soon as you're able, Alpha. This is not my house though if it were, I would have you out on your ear._

Harriet had delivered the girl safe and sound without bondmark nor even so much as a loose curl and she had been treated by this _Mr. Brewer_ as a criminal and a scoundrel. She wasn't certain as to how in the world she would survive walking into the sitting room to which the lady of the house had called her if that insufferable man were to be present.

“Miss Reed!” the girl cried, standing up with her hands together and a broad smile on her face. The only other person in the room was Lottie who smiled up at her, prompting an answering one. “How wonderful of you to join us, and you've brought a little friend!” She motioned to the tiny black kitten that was perched upon Harriet's shoulder and cooed softly when it was handed to her. “What a beautiful little specimen! I do love myself a good cat and this one is black as night. Very attractive color for a cat.”

“I should say,” Harriet agreed, extending her arm so that the kitten could walk his way down to her hand and then make the small leap into Lottie's lap. “Are you well this afternoon, ladies? It is overly warm outside and you've the windows open.”

“It gets far too stuffy in here without, and I do like the warm. I think most Omegas like to find warmth anywhere they can.” She said it while catching Harriet's eye with the most devious of glances. She wasn't flirting...what _was_ she doing? “Lottie told me that you played a delightful Romeo back in Bristol and that you managed to get her to actually use her brilliant mind and education to play Juliet! Unimaginable for me, you understand. Lottie is so talented though so sensitive. I never should have thought her to have the _courage_.”

Harriet felt her nerves pinch a little. The girl wasn't serious. This was some kind of manipulation, surely. She passed a glance over to Lottie who was placidly sitting to the side. “Lady Ottilie is quite the skilled woman, that is, in the theatrical sense. I believe it comes from her feeling such emotion as closely as Juliet herself. How can one not be the perfect actress if one must be forcibly committed to the role?”

“How could anyone expect her to remove herself from such a role once it has been in place? Gracious, to be Juliet and to be so deeply in love with her Romeo. How utterly romantic.”

She felt her mouth tighten and the edges turn upward in a reluctant grin. “You have been conspiring though to what end, I am unsure. Did your sibling relate to you that he would rather I be gone?”

Josephine made a soft _tsk_ and waved her hand in the air. “Remmy is a fool. He's no appreciation for the finer arts such as acting and the like.”

Harriet sighed, glad for such an interruption into the discussion of Lottie's inability to remove herself from Juliet—not to mention Harriet's inability to remove the girl from her own interpretation of the role. There was no doubt that throughout this entire debacle, she had forever placed this lovely woman upon a pedestal from which there was no removal—she was Harriet's Juliet and she would forever be. She was at once both untouchable and yet so deliciously wonderful that she could not stay away no matter the risks. Could she really have left? Now, she wasn't certain how she ever would. Even with the threat of Mr. Brewer's intervention, she was keen to keep herself as close to Lottie as possible, this end aided surely by the lovely and capable Josephine.

Still, they rarely had any time alone with each other. No matter that the other Omega in the house seemed only too happy to leave them alone together, every moment that was chanced was foiled by the suspicious Mr. Brewer who was always keeping a hard eye on Harriet's whereabouts. Though he had not approached her since that first meeting, it was almost as if he was constantly her shadow and she had caught his valet several times snooping about the hallway near she and Lottie's rooms.

Once after supper when they were gathered together in the parlor, Harriet managed to get near to Lottie while Mr. Brewer was in conversation with his sister.

“Have you noticed,” she asked softly, as not to arouse suspicion, “that Mr. Brewer seems at my heels?”

Lottie's cheeks appeared pink in the fading sunlight that filtered in through the parlor windows. “Remmy is merely protective of me.”

“Remmy? You are so familiar with him?”

She didn't meet Harriet's eyes and at once her heartbeat began to quicken in her nervousness. Was there something between them? Had there been before? “When Jo and I became friends and she introduced us, we became somewhat familiar as a matter of course. It is nothing so close as...as...”

“As you and I?”

“If you will have your way then I suppose the matter is useless to compare.”

_Useless to compare?!_ Harriet could have groaned for how absolutely wrong the girl was. Surely she knew by now that Harriet couldn't wrench herself away without being thrown out by this _Remmy_ by force. Though how could she possibly manage to tell this girl how she felt?! How could she possibly tell this girl that she wanted to tear her life apart and it was all through selfish wants?! She felt guilty for breaking Lottie's heart and even guiltier for having the audacity to keep hanging on when the best for the both of them would be to tear away as quickly as possible so the wound could be staunched and bandaged quickly. She could hardly bear the idea of leaving but to stay would be to let them both fester in impossibility.

She held her frustrations within herself for the moment at least and passed the evening in relative silence, her sharp eyes unblinkingly observing every single brush of interaction between her little Juliet and that damned _Alpha_ with which she was so familiar.

_Perhaps I really should leave. Perhaps I should go when I cannot be caught by her beautiful eyes. When I cannot be arrested by those charming expressions and that guileless mouth. Romeo must face his tragedy, then. Star-crossed lovers never do have happy endings, do they?_

At the end of the evening, as they retreated back to their rooms, Harriet found herself halted just before entering her chamber and she turned to find that the back of her waistcoat was held in one small hand and Lottie was staring up at her through the dim light.

“My Lady...is there something the matter?” she asked, her heart squeezing painfully as she thought of how she might pack her trunk and carry it alone down the servants' staircase. It wasn't the most difficult of endeavors to get a staff to aid her in leaving and the most difficult part of it was certainly in staring into the deep pools of Lottie's eyes and wrenching herself away. There was a stray curl on the girl's cheek that she wished to brush away with careful fingers but she could not—she should not. The image of Mr. Brewer's disdain pushed into her mind and she held her hands to her sides.

“There is something the matter, Harriet,” Lottie told her, her body slightly trembling as though she shivered from the cold. Her scent was fluctuating between anxiety and determination, the sweet scent of her coaxing Harriet to respond.

“What?” she replied in a half-whisper. “What could it be, little one?”

“Is it not something that should be said in these hallways, Harriet...”

_Harriet._ The sound of her voice saying her name again was enough to unravel her and melt the thin layer of courage around her heart. She gulped. “I suppose it is something that cannot be said where Mr. Brewer might overhear.”

“Harriet, please. Come out to the gardens with me.”

“They will be dark...”

“Jo has seen to it that the torches are still lit.”

Harriet sighed. “Of course she has.” It seemed that the scheming of Omegas would be the downfall of any sensible person. “I will...I will go with you.”

“Follow me, Alpha. This way.” Lottie led her, holding her sleeve tight in her small fist and dragging her through winding hallways until they had finally made it to the terrace outside. Lottie tapped down the steps and onto the stone pathway that wound through a lit English garden rife with swags of flower vines, clematis and wisteria. Her slippers moved silently over the stone under her skirts and Harriet trailed behind her, sneaking glances over her shoulder to make certain they were not being followed by some sneaky Beta spy. Finally, Lottie reached a point where she stopped suddenly, nearly causing Harriet to spill over top of her. When she turned around, she let the woman go and immediately began to rub her palms over her hips.

“Please,” Harriet begged, unable to stop her hands from rubbing but holding out her own as if to implore Lottie to quit her nervousness. “Tell me what this is about, Lottie. I cannot fathom any reason why you should have called me out to such seclusion. I feel that there can be nothing more to say.”

“Perhaps for you,” Lottie replied. “You have said your piece, surely, but now you must hear me say mine.”

“Is it the last you shall say to me?” she asked, her voice dipping into the sadness that she felt at the prospect.

“Certainly not should I have my way,” she snipped, her shoulders squaring. “Harriet Reedstrom, I _don't care_ what you think about what's proper and right between us.”

“Wh—”

“No! You will not interrupt me. I've been interrupted enough in my life and I will not tolerate it. Not now when I have everything neat and orderly in my mind and I cannot get it out properly otherwise. I don't care what you think is proper and just. I am my own woman and I can do as I like and I don't need some sort of mind-numbed ninny Alpha Lord as my mate when I have a perfectly good mate right here in front of me.” She tamped her little slipper down to emphasize her point. “I care nothing of class differences. I care nothing of wealth, I have plenty of it! I care of nothing but my emotions and how they have bound me in an unforgettable mateship—with _you_ . I see no reason why we cannot be together other than those that are contrived and ridiculous!” She came to Harriet then, reaching up to grasp at her waistcoat possessively, shaking her a little in her fervor. “I _love you_ , Harriet. I don't know what else to do without you and I don't wish to ever entertain the notion. I do not care about the risk of discovery for how can I be harmed should I have my mate beside me?”

Harriet stood stunned for a few moments, staring down at the little Omega with her mouth half-open while the moon peeked out from around a stray night cloud and bathed the both of them in silver light. Was it so simple? Of course not, she thought. But then, as the moonlight shined in her Juliet's eyes she thought again. _Of course it is. Love is quite simple, is it not?_ It was merely the choice of being together or not. A simple yes or no. Heartache and pain was assured in one hand and the other? Perhaps a lifetime of happiness and joy that would last until death—and even then...beyond? It mattered not to Lottie that they have children. It mattered not to Lottie that they may be discovered. It mattered not to Lottie that there were any risks involved at all.

So then why, Harriet mused, did it matter to _her?_ Protection of an Omega could only go so far and if the choice to leave her caused her certain pain then what was the use of doing it should her motive be that of altruism? Her mind began working a mile a minute, devising plans that she would then erase and restart over and over until she she was shaken by Lottie again and reminded that she had not yet answered the little Omega.

“My Lady...” she blurted, grasping Lottie's elbows to keep from being shaken again. “You have...shocked me.”

“I have told you that I love you, Harriet...”

“And I love you, Lottie,” she admitted, feeling her cheeks warm. “But you've known that. You know it and you've known it. I...I know not how we will be together Lottie but...”

“But you will?” she asked, holding her breath.

“...y-yes.”

“Yes?!” she cried, her eyes filling with tears.

Harriet moved to wipe at the overflowing tears on the girl's pale cheeks and held her face in her hands. “Little Lottie, please. It will be a close thing if we do manage to pull it off but I think...I think it possible, at the very least.”

She gave small hiccuping sobs of happiness and leaned forward into Harriet's hands, “Then you shall marry me?!”

“If...If that is what you desire.”

“Yes! That is what I desire! I want you, Harriet! I want every bit of you all to myself forever! I never want to share you or have you out of my sight!” She blubbered a bit and pulled Harriet forward so that she might bury her face in the woman's waistcoat. “You are my Alpha! _My Alpha!_ I finally will have you and there will be nothing that can stop me.”

Harriet wrapped her arms around the girl, holding her close and breathing in the potent relief in her sweet scent. “If it will please you, little one, I would love to be your Alpha.”

“And you will not try to get away?”

“Never.” It was so true it hurt. How was there any way she could break this girl's heart again, even if staying meant risking her reputation? Despite everything, Harriet had to admit, it was romantic to fight for what she loved...and oh my did she love this Omega. “Come, little one. We should find our way back to the house. I suppose if we are to be married, that will certainly take care of your odious cousin.”

“Yes...and you shall have my father's house...and my father's accounts...”

Harriet smiled warmly down at her. “The only thing of your father's that concerns me is his _daughter_.”

Lottie's big watery brown eyes stared up at her and she sniffed, her scent betrayed how much the words had touched her. She stuck to Harriet's side, gripping her and keeping her close until they were near to the house though her body stiffened considerably when she spotted Mr. Brewer standing upon the terrace with his hands clasped loosely behind his back.

Harriet's teeth clenched and she could have growled despite its impoliteness.

“Good evening ladies,” he told them in a deceptively calm tone. “It is a fine night for a stroll is it not? I suppose that's why my sister gave the servants the order to keep the path lit. So that you two might find some time to chat.”

Her brow lifted. “And what concern do you have of it?” Harriet asked.

“None. None at all. You see, I'm certain you managed to look up from your own self-interested pursuits long enough to notice that I was taking an interest in your personal life, Miss Reed. A very capable _actor_ certainly.”

“Your interest in me does not seem of the charitable type,” she stated back, calmly examining his demeanor.

“Admittedly not. Of course, I shan't worry about your clandestine walks with our Little Lady Lottie as I've determined you no threat in the least.”

“A mere few days ago and I was a great one.”

“A mere few days ago I had been under a false impression carefully cultivated by a crafty woman who required it for her career purposes no doubt. How ingenious of you and how lucky for us that you should be the one to escort our Lottie safely from her home. I should thank you, _Beta_. For all you've done.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit later than normal for a Tuesday! Things happen!


	13. Chapter 13

Lottie was not about to let something like _this_ happen. She was far too invested now and the last vestiges of her anger at Harriet for having almost denied her the very same thing that Remmy was about to were now redirected. She let go of Harriet, putting out her arms and stepping in front of her, feeling much like a rather indignant gust of wind. She might not have understood much about the way people danced about subjects all the time and never said what they really meant, but the way Harriet's mild Beta scent had soured beneath the Alpha overtones was just enough to tell her that Remmy was up to something nefarious.

“Rembrandt Brewer, you stop that right now!” she spat.

He blinked, peering down at her. “I beg pardon?”

Lottie put out her finger at him. “You think you're very sneaky, don't you? Masking your words so that little stupid Lottie can't figure out what you mean by things. You apologize this instant!”

“My Lady,” he began. She didn't let him finish.

“ _My Lady,_ ” she mocked him, waving her hand in the air in a barely controlled movement. “I don't want to hear your excuses! You have been terribly rude to my Alpha and I'll not have it.”

Remmy blinked again, his jaw opening softly as if upon a loose hinge. “My Lady, she's not—”

“I do not wish to hear what you think about her. My whole coming here was to be rescued by my friends from some heinous plot to marry me off to that boar, Wilfred, and damned if I'm not going to have to save _myself_ when it all comes down to it because everyone here,” she paused, “except Jo, of course, she's a darling,” she nodded to herself, “has it in their head that they must know what's best for me! Well I'm going to tell you all right now that you don't know a...a...a _bloody_ thing!”

Harriet gave a surprised sniff behind her and Remmy's jaw was fully slackened now.

Lottie, however, was undaunted. “I'll not have you ruin this for me, Remmy. I'll not have it. I'll knock you clear down the stairs and hope your neck breaks should you try to ruin this for me.” She shook her finger at him to hid its obvious tremble as her heart beat harder in her chest and her rage built. “I'll bash your fool skull in should you say anything that would hurt my Alpha and don't you even wager that I wouldn't. I'll feed you to the wolves if I have to and it might take years but I'll do it. _I'll ruin your whole life, Remmy Brewer._ ”

“Lottie,” he said, bringing his hands together, “she's not an Alpha...”

She stood up straight, her eyes flat upon him when she put her hands out to her sides. “Of course she's not! But the church doesn't know that and they never will. If they do find out, I'll know which heart to plunge a blade into; that you can bet upon!”

“Lottie, you can't be serious.”

Harriet moved to take a step but Lottie put out an arm behind herself to stop her in her tracks. “I could not be more sincere in this. If you come between Harriet and myself, I will murder you and then throw myself from the roof.”

Harriet cleared her throat and murmured softly as if to herself, “ _Oh don't do that..._ ”

Remmy's lips thinned. “You want to marry a lowborn Beta woman...Lottie, listen to yourself.”

“I have been listening to myself this entire time,” she explained in a hard voice. “You're the one who isn't listening to me. It seems that half the time I speak, nobody at all listens to me and that was certainly how it was with myself for a long time as well. Now I've learned to truly hear what my heart is telling me—I know what love is. Juliet has taught me that quite well and there is nothing in this whole world that will take my Romeo from me...save death...but before such an end comes to us, I will _end you!_ ”

Remmy swallowed visibly, putting up his hands in a defensive gesture. “Lottie, I mean well.”

She tamped her little slippered foot down on the gravel. “ _I do not care for your lies!_ ” Marching straight up to him, she stomped upon his foot as hard as she could and watched him jump back from her, shocked and surprised at the pain.

“Omega!” he gasped. “You've got to be completely mad! You cannot marry her! She cannot sire your children! She has no wealth or connections!”

“Is this any of your business, Remmy? Answer me! Is it!?”

“Y-Ye—”

She interrupted him, “It is arguable that it is rather _none_ of your business. Since it is fully and completely about the lives of only two persons and you are _not_ one of them, I can only make the deduction that your intrusion is the most uppity breach of etiquette you've ever committed. Now, kindly would you _please_ leave Harriet and I to enjoy each others' company? We are _engaged,_ you know, and that does afford us some luxuries when it comes to being alone together.” She had left no room for argument and indeed pulled her fan from the pocket in her gown and opened it to shoo him as he deserved to be shooed from the terrace.

Unable to comprehend what had just happened to him, Remmy was awestruck and silent, looking to Harriet for a few moments before he stared back at Lottie and then, sheepishly, retreated back into the french doors that had led out to the marble terrace.

Lottie turned herself back around and snapped her fan shut, her rage still simmering beneath the surface as she stared down at Harriet, the woman's face illuminated from the warm torchlight, her expression unreadable. The Omega felt her emotions begin to bleed off and she tucked her fan away in her pocket again, her hands nervously coming to her skirt. “Oh dear...do you think he will tell someone?”

Harriet snorted out a small, breathy laugh. “No...no I do not think he will. Lest he end up with a blade in his chest. Gracious, Lottie, you certainly were convincing.”

“Do you think I was acting?” she asked.

“Well...I certainly don't _now._ ” The woman climbed the steps, her hands coming to Lottie's elbows to steady her before she dipped down and placed a small, chaste kiss to the Omega's lips. “You are fire, my little one. Fire and fury.”

Lottie moved away from her, tapping her way to the thick marble railing next to a medium-sized potted fern, examining the leaves as her heart fluttered and she debated the waterfall of words that wanted to spill out all at once. “Harriet...?”

“Yes, my little Lottie?”

“I think that you are my truemate.”

There was a small pause. “Do you? I had always thought that truemates were something of a myth. I told myself that, I suppose, to make certain that I would feel better about having stolen an Omega away from theirs.” Her grin was apparent in her voice. “Most people think them only Alphas and Omegas.”

“Do Betas have love the same as Omegas do?” Lottie asked as she turned to face her, her brows knit. “Can you love me like an Alpha can?”

“I can love you a thousand times better,” Harriet smiled. “That is one thing that Betas can do and do very well. We can love...without need for scent or instinct or heats or ruts. All we have is love, you know. It is what makes us so steadfast.”

Lottie let out a light little laugh. “I thought that love was to make someone flighty and impossible.”

“Do you not know my love, Juliet?”

“Steadfast...” she murmured, still fiddling with the fronds at her shoulder, her heart beating hard in her chest.

A hard and familiar scent tickled at Lottie's nose and at once she straightened her back, stiff and filled with a difficult sort of panic. _No. It couldn't be..._ But of course it could be. She couldn't see him yet but she could scent him...she could almost _feel_ him.

“Lottie?” Harriet asked, her voice wavering a little.

“H-Harriet...” she tried but it was far too late. By the time she could have warned the Beta, the intruder had already leaped upon the terrace looking as decadently malicious as ever, his features in high contrast as he cast his sharp eyes over the both of them and his thin, wicked lips curved into a smirk.

“Evening, my Lady,” Wilfred cooed. “You've given us quite the chase. Now I think it's about time you ceased this little game you've been playing. It was easier to find you than you might have thought, you know.”

Harriet squared her shoulders. “Pardon me, Alpha, but—”

“Oh,” Wilfred interrupted, casting a disturbed glance over her as though she were an afterthought. “Do kindly piss off, would you? I'm here to collect my fiancee.”

Harriet stared at him with enough affront that even Lottie could see that the woman was clearly about to start a row. Of course, Lottie's unfinished and untethered frustrations were easily called back to center stage.

“Wilfred,” she stated sharply, drawing his full attention. “I believe you're the one who should kindly piss off.”

“Excuse me?” he asked, brushing at his jacket with light fingers as if merely being here could cause him to become dusty. “I think you're forgetting something here. I am your ruling Alpha. You've no standing to stay here. I'll be taking you home and you'll not put up a fuss.”

Lottie stuck out her chin, very calmly replying in a sweet tone. “Like hell I will.”

Harriet's voice was hard and sharp, taking on the distinct tone of an angered Alpha. “I assume you're the infamous cousin. Wilting, weasel Wilfred and his wicked scheme to marry Little Lottie...it could almost be the plot of a sordid play. Of course, you haven't yet met the hero of this tale.”

Wilfred's lip arched into a sneer. “I suspect you think that hero to be yourself. You'd be wrong.”

She bowed low and then put out her hand to him. “Rhet Reed.”

His eyes flashed. “Reed...I've heard of you...” He stared down at her hand as though it were the most disgusting thing he'd ever beheld. “Some kind of actor.”

“More than an actor,” Harriet told him. “I've another specialty as well.”

“Oh?” he asked, not really interested. “And I suppose you simply must tell me.”

“I must,” she nodded. “Because it has very much to do with you.”

“Fine then. Tell me and then remove yourself. You're quite boring.”

Harriet nodded, pulling back her hand and carefully rolling up her sleeves. “I'll have to inform you, William—”

“Wilfred.”

“Oh right, Wilbur.” She finished with her sleeves and fisted her hands a few times before she swung them lightly at her sides. “I am an accomplished _brawler_ , if you weren't aware. I believe you'll want to divest yourself of your jacket before I beat you to death. It would unbecoming of your corpse to arrive at your father's home with torn seams.”

Wilfred's hands were hard balls at his sides and he turned with glinting eyes toward Lottie, his teeth sharp in the torchlight. “This is ridiculous.” His Alpha voice rang through her mind suddenly, stiffening all of her muscles and forcing her to gasp in a breath. “ _Lottie! Stop this Alpha!_ ”

Alpha tone with Omegas was normally supposed to convey particular contextual meanings. Lottie was aware of that. She'd always been aware of that. But Lottie didn't have much concept for context—she never had. It was something to do with her oddity. Something to do with how she would fidget and become overwhelmed easily—it was all connected. Context, it turned out, was key. So Lottie _stopped this Alpha._

She didn't even have to think, after all, Alpha voice didn't really let her. She merely picked up the heavy potted fern next to her and lobbed it hard and, if she could say so, precisely. It struck the back of Wilfred's head as he turned around to face Harriet again and broke into quite a few shards which scattered over him as he fell heavily to the marble with a sickening thump.

Harriet, with her sleeves rolled up and her posture ready, gave out a simple barking laugh before she doubled over with her hands on her knees to let out deeper belly laughs which tapered until she could stand and move around the prone form to gather Lottie into her arms. “Are you alright, little pet?” She held her tight, the hold doing much to calm Lottie's thudding heart. “I believe you've done a number on our dear friend, Willy.”

Lottie frowned, unsticking her joints to hug her arms around Harriet's waist. “He is not my dear friend and his name is Wilfred.”

Harriet was laughing again. “Yes, of course. Pardon, my Lady.”

Just at that moment, Remmy was at the French doors, his grip hard on the back of her uncle's collar, dragging the smaller Alpha about like some urchin. “Rhet! I've found this nasty creature loping about the grounds and—” He spotted Wilfred, his mouth gaping. “By jove, you've put out another one! How many do you think there are?”

Lottie peeped. “There are but the two, Remmy. Perhaps the constable should be called...they've sought to kidnap me, after all!”

Her uncle's protestations landed upon deaf ears as Remmy agreed and disappeared into the house, giving orders to servants for them to collect the prostrate Wilfred and detain him. He was hauled off by two brawny footmen as Lottie couldn't help but keep herself right where she belonged. In Harriet's arms.

“Well,” Harriet supplied, “it seems Mr. Brewer was far more useful than I thought...capturing your uncle was certainly a task, I'm sure.”

“He's a decent guard dog,” Lottie told her. “That is what Jo says about him.”

“No doubt. Though I will lament now that I was certain I was going to have to fight for your good name and your hand in marriage and here I am having done absolutely nothing of use after all. When I told you that you were fire and fury, I hadn't thought that such a proclamation would be put to the test so quickly. I daresay you passed. Chilling to note that your interpretation of an Alpha's _voice_ is so dependent upon the exactness of the statement.”

“It served quite useful,” she added, making certain to bury her face against Harriet's breasts to smell her through the false Alpha scent. “Harriet?”

“Yes, dearest?”

“Will you wash tonight? So that I might smell only you?”

There was a short pause. “Tonight?”

“Yes, Alpha...tonight.”

She loosened her arms but held Lottie's elbows so that she could peer down into her eyes. Lottie stared back. “You say this as though...you will stay with me.”

“You said you will marry me. I've no fear of your touch...you've known this since the inn. I want to know you, Harriet. I want to see and scent and touch every inch of you and know you as my mate.”

“You do not wish to wait for the blessing of the church?”

“I have all the blessings I need. You will wait to bite me of course. I will have to have my heat for your bite...I could not imagine it any other way...” She felt her face heat and the skin under her chin grow hot. “You would not forgo a bite, would you Alpha?”

“Of course not,” Harriet told her, her smile wide. “I am an Alpha, am I not? I will have to sink my teeth into my mate should I be worthy of the name.”

The Omega reached forward and pulled Harriet down by the front of her waistcoat, teasing against her lips with her words. “You are very worthy of the name, Alpha...” She kissed her then, cloying and sweet. She felt her breasts become fuller as heat pooled between her thighs and she felt the familiar tug of her attraction to Harriet's underlying scent and the handsomeness of her feminine face. “Do you think me odd? For falling in love with you?”

“Do you think _me_ odd for _being_ me?” She was grinning against Lottie's lips.

“Well...only a little.”

“Then you must be only a little odd for falling in love with me. Or perhaps it is only the _stress_ ,” she teased, her fingers delving into the sensitive hair at Lottie's nape before she kissed the girl again, this time probing at her lips with an inquisitive tongue which, when granted access, plundered her sweetly. She couldn't help that her hands released the Alpha and twisted softly at her shoulders, plucking at her gown. _Stress, indeed._

“Come to my room, Alpha...” she murmured.

“Yes...” Harriet replied in a breath, following her easily, her scent far lighter than their trip down to the garden. They reached the chamber with much haste and upon entry pulled at the cord for the servants, Harriet's intent that of a bath—and oh, Lottie could not wait. It would be much the treat for her to scent the truest scent of her mate. Awkwardly, they stood apart and Harriet opened the adjoining door to her room, disappearing through it when the bath was delivered only to return wearing just her wrapper, her cheeks pink.

“Oh dear,” Lottie peeped. “You are quite handsome...”

“Do not tease or I shall bare you to the candlelight for fairness' sake.”

Lottie twittered with her hands to her shoulders until she turned to pluck up the kitten who snoozed on the counterpane, holding him as if a talisman while she waited impatiently. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as the kitten mewled and she held her breath to watch her Alpha take her bath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the somewhat late updates. Life is...well you know how life is! Staying positive though!


	14. Chapter 14

It was not as difficult as she had imagined it might be—having Lottie's large brown eyes watching her without any hint of guile as she slowly untied the sash of her wrapper and let it drop to the floor. She could hear, in the quiet of the room, Lottie's soft gasp and hoped that it was one born of appreciation rather than fear. What was there to fear, after all? It was not as though the girl had to worry herself over whether or not she could fit the girth of an Alpha inside her. Still, Harriet felt a flush rise in her cheeks and over her chest and she tightened her thighs together, avoiding Lottie's gaze with her own.

“Am I...”

Lottie held the kitten up so that her lips were hidden by its soft head. “You are...beautiful.”

Harriet felt her lips curve into a smile that took her by surprise and she slowly moved toward the steaming bath, eager to fulfill her mate's request that her scent be only mild and purely _Harriet_. It had been so long since she had allowed herself to revel in her own Beta femininity that it would surely be a novel experience for her as well—to fully immerse herself in the softer side of her. Her first step into the bath filled her with tingles that cascaded over her and instinctively her hands came up and crossed over her breasts as she stepped in.

“Oh...” Lottie breathed. “You will not cover yourself from me, will you? You're so lovely and...”

Harriet hesitated for a moment and then dropped her arms as if recalling the Alpha in her to the fore. Strong, capable, impressive—she was not meek nor wilting or anything of the sort. _Confidence_ , she thought, cross with herself. With that thought, she sank down into the hot water and then finally raised her eyes to Lottie's face, finding the girl unabashedly staring at her, her petal pink lips open and her whole body trembling. Her sweet Omega scent had filled the room with a spiced fragrance of curiosity and, dare she think it, arousal.

The Beta let her lashes flutter a bit before she caught Lottie's gaze, bringing those brown eyes away from her breasts. “Are you happy with me, little Lottie?”

“I...” she began, her voice soft and weak even in the quietude of the room. “I scarce know how to answer such a query. You are so handsome and yet so much a woman. I cannot know which part of you to sing about at the first. Do I love your face the most? Do I love the broadness of your shoulders? Do I love the feline nature of your movement or do I love the slope of your hips?” Lottie's eyes filled with moisture. “Oh I cannot know which piece of you that I love the most aside from the part which I already know...”

Harriet was nearly holding her breath. “And that part?”

Lottie was shaking like a leaf in the wind. “Your heart...”

She was suddenly gripping the edges of the tub, water splashing out over the carpet. “Lottie, if I am to finish this bath without rushing out of it and ravishing you, you will have to refrain from saying such touching words.”

“I cannot help it,” she breathed, light tears seeping from the corners of her eyes. She wiped them into the fur of the kitten in her hands and sniffed. “You are so handsome...it has to be said. I have never seen someone as arresting as you are...”

She reached for the mild soap that had been brought with the bath and began to wash herself, her eyes barely leaving Lottie's as she washed away the Alpha scent that she carried with her everywhere and allowed for her fresh, new Beta scent to emerge. She had almost forgotten what it was like—what she smelled like. Mild and soft and so very much like a woman—it was a little unnerving to have herself so exposed, almost like becoming naked twice.

“This is you...” Lottie murmured, taking a step forward as her nose tested the air. “This is my mate. How queer it is to finally have caught the purest whiff of you after having loved you already.”

“Your words will burst my heart,” Harriet warned her before she dunked her head under the water and then rose up again, wiping at her eyes and rubbing at her face. “I can hardly stand that you are here with me, watching me, and you must tell me just how I excite you?”

“I cannot hold it within me, Harriet,” Lottie told her. “I feel warm when I look at you. There is the strangest feeling in places I should not even name...”

Harriet felt a salacious grin come to her mouth. “Oh? Pray tell me where do you feel such sensations?”

The Omega shifted a bit, her knees coming together beneath her skirts as she tucked the kitten closer to her chest. “It would not be prudent...”

“I am naked in this bath and as soon as I get out of it, I will be stripping you nude and ravishing you until you are screaming my name into the night...there is no place for prudence here.” She leaned with both of her arms on the edge of the tub, resting her chin upon her forearms to enjoy the spectacle of her Omega squirming in lusty discomfort.

“Harriet...I...I feel the oddest sensation between my...well...”

“Do you think it might help if I touched you there?”

Her lower lip trembled. “I uhm...y-yes, perhaps...”

With that, she pulled herself up from the water, her naked flesh dripping with moisture as she stepped out and lifted one soft, fluffy towel to dry herself with. Rubbing over her body, she made certain to make a show of it, saving her hair for last which she rubbed judiciously until it was a becoming rakish sort of mess. Knowing just how handsome she did look brought a bit of her confidence back that she had lost when she had lost the bulk of her scent and she passed a disarming grin over to Lottie who, still shaking, set the kitten down on its separate little bed, her hands immediately twisting near her shoulders as her sweet scent spiked with spice.

Harriet laughed. “Are you nervous, little one?”

“Oh yes. I am, a great deal. I anticipate that you will touch me in places that...that prudence dictates—”

“What have I said about prudence, my love?” she asked as she stalked Lottie slowly, moving as an Alpha does when they have scented their prey.

“Th-that is has no place here...”

“May I take off your clothes, my Lady?”

“Oh dear...yes please.” Lottie was breathless, near to panting. She mewed when Harriet came close to her and closed her eyes, her lashes resting gently against her soft cheeks. Her delicate sighs were musical and wisping as the ribbon lacing up the back of her gown loosened and the bodice sagged, Harriet's searching touch working to free her. Soon, the garment dropped to the floor and all Lottie was left in was her light chemise which proved nearly translucent in the firelight.

“ _Lottie_ ,” Harriet breathed, coming closer to her and gripping her upper arms to ease her of her nervousness. She dipped her head down and slid her nose just under the curve of the Omega's jaw, pulling in her sweetness as though it were opium. “Your scent is thrilling, my love. You've entranced me. Will you touch me? I am offered to you...bare for you...”

Lottie's eyes fluttered open and a brave determination shown in her eyes. Her hands ceased in their wriggling and she reached up, her touch like cool fire over Harriet's skin as she ran her light caress over the Beta's chest and towards her neck. Pulling with just the barest force, she manipulated Harriet until she could press her nose clear against the spot just under her ear, the air there turning cold as Lottie pulled in her breath. “ _Oh..._ ” came her sigh. “Harriet...you cannot know how wonderful it is to know you so...”

She pulled Lottie close until the length of their bodies pressed softly together. “It can only be matched by how wonderful it is to hold you. My Lottie...I want to make you mine...”

“I am already yours.”

Harriet moved to sit upon the edge of the bed her hands sliding down Lottie's sides until she could ruck up her chemise to her thighs, relishing the girl's sudden open-mouthed gasp at the feel of her bare fingertips over her flesh. Releasing the tapes of her drawers and the fastenings of her garters, the fine material dropped to Lottie's feet and was kicked away impatiently, Harriet's hands on her hips urging her closer until she was straddling her thigh.

“Have you ever been touched so?” Harriet asked in a breath, taking a moment to lean and slip Lottie's stocking from her shapely legs.

“N-No...” Her small hands were gripping the Beta's shoulders hard, her tiny nails digging pleasantly into her skin.

“Your warmth is only inches from me, little Lottie...should I teach you how to ease your strange sensations?” It was nearly impossible to maintain composure. When the girl's small breasts were so near to her face, her nipples stiff and dusty pink through the thin material—it was difficult to think at all. God she was beautiful and it was a crime that she knew it not!

“Please...” Lottie mewled, “please show me...”

Harriet guided her hips downward, pressing her thigh intimately against the curls between her legs, excitement lancing through her at the feel of cool moisture that had gathered within them. “Relax, my Omega, let me love you.”

Lottie did relax a bit, her weight coming down more heavily over her as Harriet guided her hips to cant a bit so that she might produce a very slight and gentle movement. “Oh my...” she murmured, leaning forward and throwing her arms around Harriet's neck, burying her face against the slope of her shoulder. “That is where...this is where I feel so...swollen...”

“How does it feel now?” she asked, slowly shifting the girl in the barest of movements to press against the center of her, a very soft introduction to the pleasures of the night.

Lottie's breath was beginning to harden into slow pants, “It feels so odd...I have never felt something so strange before...this must be what I have cried for during heat...”

“If you become overwhelmed you must tell me and we will ease off. Do you understand?”

“Y-yes. I...I understand.”

Harriet shifted, kissing the delicate shell of the girl's ear and guiding her again to rub against her, smiling when she noted that the girl was, herself, moving to assist, her thighs tightening with her arousal and the effort. Those small shifts that were slow at the first gradually became deeper and harder, slick moisture trailing over Harriet's flesh where Lottie touched her. “Mmm, my mate...my little sweeting...you're so _wet_ for me.”

“Uhn...your _words_...”

“Do they arouse you, little one?”

“I feel so...so fluttery in my stomach...”

“And between your legs...where you felt your odd sensations?”

Lottie sighed, her grip becoming tighter around Harriet's neck as she ground herself down just a little bit harder. “It feels nearly _sharp_...I cannot describe it...it is like I cannot possibly have more but then I cannot have enough...I am confused by it, tantalized by it. What it is, I cannot begin to say...”

“It is only that your body cannot speak in any other language...it wants this...”

“I cannot deny it. I would not, of course,” she gasped. “What will become of me if I give in?”

“I will transform you into a quivering mess of need, of course. I will sate you. I will have you writhing for me and screaming for me and every tear you shed will be one of absolute joy.”

She tightened her loins and huffed against Harriet's throat. “Oh that does sound wonderful...please Harriet, do that, would you?”

Her smile was full and she urged the girl to move a little faster, undulating her leg to produce more delicious friction until she felt Lottie beginning to twitch, her breath hitching with sharp pleasure as she trembled and neared the very first peak she would find in Harriet's arms. The Omega's grip was tight, her nails digging hard into the Beta's back as she moved, writhing and panting, her mewls growing louder until she was very near to moaning.

“ _Alpha...Alpha! H-Harriet! Uhn! What...what is...!_ ” Her breathy cry found her tensing hard, her thighs like a vice around the Beta's as she found release, her form growing lax as moisture dripped in small rivulets down Harriet's leg toward the bedclothes.

Gathering her small form, Harriet lifted her easily, flipping her about to lay her upon the counterpane. She climbed over her, looming and powerful like a big cat who had cornered a small, helpless prey. Sitting between Lottie's which opened and cradled her hips, she slowly, sensually, revealed the girl bit by bit in lifting the hem of her chemise, pulling it up and over until her arms were above her head and the whole of her pale body was revealed. Her chest was rising in heavy breaths, her small breasts perked and round, her nipples hard and begging to be tasted.

Harriet licked her lips but controlled her impulse, stamping it down as her trembling fingers reached down toward Lottie's face, dragging the side of a finger over the softness of her cheek. She leaned over, placing a hand to the side of her girl, hovering as she touched her face and then slid her fingers to pull at the pins in her hair. With each one plinking into a dish on the nightstand, the Omega's hair became a little less controlled, the curls jumping free as Lottie's pleasure-glazed eyes studied her from below. When Harriet was certain she had removed every one of them, she ran her fingers through those raucous curls, warmth spreading from her heart with every touch.

The girl's voice was quiet, demure, and guileless. “Will you...will you do that with me again, Alpha? I liked it. Very much.”

“Darling...” Harriet murmured with a smile, “I'll do it again right now if you wish...”

“If...if it is not so much trouble...”

“No trouble at all my sweeting. It is what I was born for. Your pleasure is the greatest of my needs.” She kissed her then, sweetly and tenderly, urging the girl to accept her as she explored her mouth's soft depth. She kissed her until she was giving out pleased mews and then she kissed her more, sweeping her hands over her small breasts to lightly pinch at her attractively pink nipples.

“ _Ahn,_ ” Lottie cried into mouth, her back arching to press upward, her thighs squeezing about Harriet's hips in a wordless plea as old as time itself, her small hands gripping into the pillows above her head.

“Mmm,” she breathed, moving her lips to Lottie's ear, nibbling the soft lobe and whispering, “ _All of those fool Alphas who sought you in gardens could never know the truest joy of knowing your heart...and knowing your body..._ ”

“ _Harriet...!_ ”

She eased downward, kissing at the elegant slope of Lottie's neck, the delicate protuberance of her collarbone and the swell of her breast. She trailed her lips down the girl's sensitive ribs and over her flat little tummy until she settled with her cheek flat against the damp girls between her thighs. “I'm going to put my mouth to you Lottie, and take care that when you scream, you do scream out my name.”

Lottie was beyond words, the only thing she could emit an overly aroused whine which deepened into a heavy, weighted groan as the flat of Harriet's tongue opened her and sought the very center point of her pleasure. With every lap and suckle, the girl's scent whipped into a higher and higher frenzy, her breaths slighter and shallower as her hips bucked and her body writhed. Harriet was ruthless, her hands holding Lottie tightly down as the girl's muscles tensed and contracted, her moans twisting into deeply pleasured cries and shrieks. Pillows sailed across the room as Lottie gripped and threw and dug at the counterpane beneath her.

“ _Ahhhn! Uhhhhn! Rrrrraaaahhhnnnn! Hah! Hahhh!_ _ **Harri-HARRIET!**_ ” It was a loud, husky, intense and ripping shriek that came just as Lottie bucked hard, moisture spilling into Harriet's mouth, dripping from her chin into a large wet puddle that soaked the coverlet. “ _Harriet..._ ” she blew out hard, “ _Harr...Harriet..._ ”

Wiping her mouth and chin with the back of her hand, she moved up to hold the little Omega, careful with her as her body still twitched and small bits of liquid still spilled from between her thighs. Lottie gripped at her, her hands warm and sweat shining over her flesh. Her hair was a veritable mane, mussed and thrown over the bedclothes in her wild passion.

“ _Harriet..._ ” she muttered, her gaze unfocused. “ _I...I've never felt..._ ”

“I know, sweeting,” she grinned, pressing a soft kiss at her hairline.

“ _I want to...to...to you..._ ” She was still twitching, her body slowly easing out of its involuntary convulsions as she lay in Harriet's arms. “How do I...”

“Worry not about me, my darling mate. I will teach you in good time. When you are not so drugged with passion from my kisses. When I've sated myself on your passion and I have the patience to allow you to fumble about with my pleasure.” She chuckled, low and deep in her chest and wished then that she held the Alpha capacity to purr for that is how content she felt with Lottie's form in her hold.

Tiredly, Lottie nodded, her eyes closing as her small hands brushed Harriet's chest. “Alpha... _I love you._ ”

She kissed Lottie's throat, her scent sated and sweet. “I love you as well, my Omega.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't forget to update this time. And yay! My Dad is out of the hospital! (Again!) I expect I will be much less scatter-brained soon!


	15. Chapter 15

Lottie stated her intent to marry Harriet with as much aplomb as she stated everything in her life. She was matter-of-fact and direct and predictably, Josephine was thrilled by the announcement. Harriet, knowing then how much of a nincompoop she must have seemed like, was content to simply ride along with the happy feelings and the blatant relief she could identify in Lottie's joyous scent. She must have been terribly blind, she thought, sifting through everything she'd said and done.

So much for being noble! She had plenty of time to scoff at herself as she dealt with the authorities when it came to Lottie's greedy relations. Since it was utterly clear to them what the true situation here was, they had no patience whatsoever for Wilfred's impotent whining over the matter. The men were ordered to keep away from the Little Lady Lottie under threat of prosecution and Harriet couldn't have been more content with how it had turned out. After all, she scoffed again at herself, she had been the noble Alpha and had still managed to get bagged by the most brilliant Omega she'd ever met. She had even more time to scoff at herself as they made their way back to Lottie's home together. With just the two of them in the coach for the entire ride, it was nearly impossible to keep the girl from kissing her north to south!

Still, how Harriet managed to get into the door of the manor without having been shaken apart by a screaming urge to bed her fiancee, she would never know. Her cheeks must have been a striking red and she was near speechless for how many kisses she had obtained from that morning to this moment and their having shared a bed the previous night had not been lost to her memory. Oh that devilish girl! Kisses like fire and ice and sparks of impossible light!

How the girl herself seemed so collected and well put together in hopping down from the coach with her tiny kitten and slowly walking up the marble steps, every inch a proper lady...how she could simply wander into her own home after having so fundamentally changed Harriet's life... She must have been more than devilish. It was almost as though she knew not what she had truly done.

Her aunt Vivian bustled to the doorway as they arrived and ordered the footmen to take their luggage. She corralled them into the first parlor where the windows were open, letting the warm breeze air out the room and flutter the lace curtains. Her scent was sparkling with anticipation.

“Dearest, dearest,” she blustered to the both of them. “It was such a scene here, I could not tell you the extent of it, what a dream and _what_ a nightmare. I have not seen before two Alphas in such a state. When they finally discovered that her Ladyship was _missing_ , good lord, they were angered. I swear I might not have been here to see the two of you again when you returned for they were so angered. I'm certain they would have wished to fire me should they have thought themselves so powerful as to have done so.” She fanned herself with a small paper fan she pulled from her pocket. “My dears, you must be so tired from your journey home. I do hope your return holds with it some hope for a brighter future...” She eyed Harriet meaningfully, her gaze somewhat intense.

Harriet frowned at her but she could not admit to being puzzled in the slightest. Only the tiniest bit annoyed that her fate should have been played with by so cavalier a puppeteer. “I should say so,” she provided as the tea was brought in and Lottie got up to be a fine hostess in pouring it. She even poured one for Vivian who didn't even blink when she took it with her thanks. It must have been quite the household, Harriet thought, if the Lady of the house took tea with her servants. She cleared her throat. “Those damned sods are off to whatever rock they crawled out from under, I suppose. Good riddance.”

“And how did you end up convincin' 'em?” Viv asked, her eyes wide.

“Well I didn't have to convince anyone, really. It was the constable that did it.”

“The constable! And how did you convince the constable?!”

Harriet smiled. “Well I, and Lottie, and Jo...well we all merely told the man the most reasonable thing...”

Lottie leaned in with her tea in one hand and her cat in the other, “The _truest thing._ ”

“Right,” Harriet said, nodding severely. “They do say that honesty is best after all. We simply told him that I am Lottie's Alpha.”

Viv's face brightened into a wide grin and her whole body hummed with energy. “Ooooh!” The sound was loud and obviously unintended as she covered her mouth quickly with her hand and then jumped from foot to foot in her excitement.

“Gracious,” Harriet sighed, “I hadn't known such a thing would send you into fits.” She rolled her eyes. She should have known. That Viv had come to her and given this perfect bundle of Omega to her for all her nobility—should she have known that such a thing was happening to her? Of course she should have but no doubt she'd been utterly blind. “Should I assume that this was all according to some sort of grand plan you had for me?”

Viv uncovered her mouth with an affronted gasp. “How could you say such a thing?” She was chuckling, trying unsuccessfully to stifle it with her tea. “I will ask now to get that dreadful notion out of your mind. When is the wedding, my loves?”

Lottie jumped in again. “As soon as can be managed. I insist upon it. After all, my heat is coming up and I am _not_ spending it elsewhere than with my mate in my bed.”

“Well fancy that,” Viv told Harriet with her wide grin still firmly in place. “A wedding for the both of you then. I believe I'll send a letter to our vicar right away. I believe he'll be overjoyed to have a reason to marry someone. He does love weddings, after all. A bit of a lush, that one.”

Harriet pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingertips. “I suppose then that I shall inform the troupe that I will be staying here for an undetermined amount of time. I assume that the estate—”

“The estate has a manager,” Viv interrupted. “No need to put yourself out of your favorite occupation. I'm certain our dear Lady would adore watching you perform...”

“Of course I would,” Lottie quipped. “I do love plays. Shall we go to London sometime for them? My father does have a property in London and I have not visited there in some time. I am certain that the butler, Timson, is just as wonderful as I remember and he would love to see me.”

Harriet's cheeks were warm. “Of course darling. But first, the wedding.”

“Oh yes. The wedding. Gracious. I should love to wear pink for my wedding. Do you think that possible?”

Harriet laughed. “Of course darling. Anything you wish.”

> _It may be far too much to ask some fellow party-goers to remember a somewhat pale and dowdy little creature who was known for blurtations but perhaps those who fell victim to the girl's loose tongue would remember her. Lady Lottie Wilkerson, the feathered and feather-brained heiress of Montanhau Hall managed to become lucky or unlucky enough to have captured one of England's most handsome ladies. For a Lady such as ours to deign enough to marry a common Alpha, this writer must accept that at the very least that Alpha was none other than the gorgeous and mysterious Rhet Reed who has been known to capture the fantasies and hearts of Omegas all over England. It is a fair guess that perhaps Lady Lottie shall one day regret such a match as it is unlikely Reed should cease playacting and every eligible Omega will be fawning and vying for attention. Against such a creature as her Ladyship, perhaps they will not have much a fight._  

Thurston folded up the bit of scandal paper he'd been handed and Harriet watched him dunk it straight into the champagne of the woman who'd given it to him, causing her to gasp loudly and twitter over his complete and utter _audacity_. He'd always been the one with the audacity, she thought wryly as she snickered her amusement and watched him drain the rest of his gin, handing his glass off to the most surprising of guests Harriet thought could have come with him—Buck Thorne. He'd arrived with the troupe but, she noted, mostly with Thurston and had been quite the gentleman with the little Omega and, as an even larger surprise, hadn't been the target of nearly any of Thurston's usual bite. As interesting as all this was, Harriet didn't have enough time in the night to watch them interact.

Most of her attention had been stolen from the moment that Lottie had been led down the aisle upon Mr. Brewer's arm, the Alpha having given a bit of a sigh when he gave her up at the end of the white rose petals and took to his seat. Even before Harriet had lifted the gossamer of her translucent veil, she had been enchanted by this pink and perfect little princess. Her big brown eyes were happy and hopeful and she was not afflicted by any of the rampant crying emotions that had rustled through the sitting guests. Her hands, most of the time holding her bouquet, were squeezing over and over, fretting with the ribbons that held the flowers together and her feet were tapping gently but for the most part, Harriet didn't think it was noticeable—what with the long gown all the way down to the floor and all.

Of course Tabby had come, the woman unable to quit from dramatics and, to the delight of Lottie, she had refused to go anywhere without at the very _least_ ten cats who found their way into every nook and cranny of the manor, climbing banisters, knocking antiques from their perches, and winding their way through the legs of chairs and the legs of guests during the ceremony and the reception. At least, Harriet thought, Lottie was in her glory. After the vicar, who did love a good drink after all, had allowed them a chaste kiss and turned them loose down the aisle, the tiny black kitten had made his appearance, trotting his way up the aisle toward them and prompting Harriet to lean down and fetch him.

“Didn't you know it's good luck to have a black cat come to you?” she murmured to Lottie as they continued their walk together.

“Is it? Well he is very handsome.”

“Indeed! Perhaps our greatest luck is him.”

Lottie scoffed. “I don't believe that.”

“No?”

“Of course not. If my greatest luck were him then it couldn't be _you._ ”

Harriet chuffed out a laugh as they had wandered toward their reception where a little later she would find Thurston soaking the scandal papers. Even there Lottie was most of her night's entertainment, dancing with every actor and actress she could find, wriggling her hands at her shoulders while she laughed and smiled, and picking up cat after cat after cat until the whole of her pale pink gown was covered in orange and black and white fur. After a time, she came to Harriet, stumbling a bit on her hem and the decent amount of champagne she'd imbibed.

“Harriet!”

“Darling.”

“I almost didn't see you there. Thank goodness you _were_ there for I believe I have fallen.”

“Into me, yes. You have had quite a bit to drink, my dearest.” She chuckled, setting Lottie upon her feet while one of her hands picked at her dress near her shoulder and the other held her mostly-empty glass. “I see you're still happy.”

“Is it so obvious?” she laughed, draining her glass and then handing it to Harriet. “Although I daresay there have been some here who have been quite dastardly in their speech. Very veiled. Do not fret yourself, Alpha, Thurston has told me that they are no one I need be bothered with...or by...”

Harriet felt her brow leap upwards and she took in a harsh breath. “There are those who have stated unkind things to you, Lottie?”

“They have _implied_ , as Thurston calls it, that you are a villain! They have cast you in the role of Wilfred, I think. That you wish for my money and my estate only and could give no care for me.”

“Ah. So they repeat the drivel of the scandal rags.”

“Do not worry, Harriet. I have made them leave.”

“You have?” She blinked, marveling at the drunk little Omega.

“Of course I have. I only did what Ciri told me to do and it worked very well I'd say. Would you be a dear and get me another glance of champagne? I'm afraid I didn't get to drink much of it since it all ended up in Lady Yvette's hair.”

Harriet sputtered in her laughter. “Oh god, it was Ciri who told you to pour your drink a girl's hair!?”

Lottie paused. “No...that was an accident. Ciri told me to steal Mrs. Vinkle's fan and fill it all up with cat hairs. She hates cats, you see. I don't know why someone like that would have come to my wedding anyway.”

Harriet was snorting with laughter. “Because she's your _neighbor_ , you silly girl!”

“But there were bound to be cats.”

She wrapped her arms around her sweet little Omega Lady and dipped her so that she might give her a dramatic and tawdry romantic kiss which certainly made several of the nearby ladies gasp and sigh and flutter their fans. She claimed Lottie like a tigress should claim the perfect prize and she devoured her easily, tasting champagne upon her lips and swallowing her giggling laughter. When she lifted the girl back up, she kissed her again, this time with more heat and an errant hand slowly creeping to the back of the girl's neck so that she might hold her sweetly.

“ _Mmm, Harriet..._ ” Lottie murmured against her mouth. “During my heat, will you bite me?”

“Of course I will,” she replied low, wishing not that the closer guests should hear. “That is coming up soon, is it not?”

“It is...I can fair feel it lingering in wait...it will not be long now...”

“I can hardly wait to have you all to myself...not a stitch of clothes between us...” Harriet lowered her voice even further, near to purring, “I'm going to ravish you, wife.”

“ _Wife..._ ” Lottie sighed quietly, looking as if she could swoon from the word alone.

“Mmm I'm going to keep you in our bed for days and make you scream for me. I daresay you have quite the voice when you wish. I'm going to make you wriggle and go clear out of your mind for me.”

“I could be out of my mind right now, Alpha...just for your teasing!”

“Good,” Harriet told her, leaning in further in order to blatantly scent her. Their closeness even at the reception for their wedding was something of a scandalous affair but Harriet didn't mind in the slightest. This performance should have been enough to put to rest any of that drivel that had been passed around accusing Harriet of being some sort of devious villain. It was clear to anyone who cared to know the two of them that there could be not one villainous bone in her body—she was far too honorable— sometimes for her own good. “Everyone will see me scenting you, darling. They'll know that I love you now and I'll love you forever. That was what I've promised the vicar and that is what I promise you now. It is what it will mean to bite you.”

“You will never find another Juliet,” Lottie told her matter-of-factly. “There is but one.”

“There is...” She let her lips trace over the soft flesh of Lottie's neck. “Oh and she is sweet.”

The girl took Harriet's shoulders in her hands and drew her away only far enough to kiss her again. “I am certain that when all of this is over, I will be told that I was far too overt with you.”

“Why should they tell you that when clearly I am to blame?”

“Don't you know Omegas are at fault for near everything?” Lottie giggled. “Though I cannot deny it. After all, should I not have chosen so handsome a wife, I should not have reason to be so scandalous with her. Oh dear!” She broke from Harriet to look down at the small black kitten who was clawing his way up her skirts in order to be snuggled into her arms. “Well aren't we simply spoiled?”

Tabby approached them, her eyes glinting with mischief. She came to them and scanned the room behind her before she gave them both a meaningful and challenging glance. “You two have got the whole room abuzz. If it weren't completely obvious that there is passion between the both of you, it is _quite_ obvious now. I adore scandal. It makes my little heart burst with excitement. Not only have you made the scandal papers, Rhet, I should send to you some of the clippings of reviews.”

“Reviews?” she asked.

“There happened to be at least one major critic from London in Bristol at the time of yours and Lottie's performance. He was astounded much the same as I. I shall send you the clipping. You will have to read it. Together. Read it as all reviews are meant to be read—in bed with a glass of wine.”

Lottie smiled. “That sounds divine...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Up Next:** Lottie may or may not shatter something while screaming in pleasure. :')


	16. Chapter 16

She was feeling warm and she didn't mind admitting it to herself. Still, she put on her nightgown and crawled into her nest which had been painstakingly made a few minutes ago with all the blankets in the correct places.

Curled and content, she pulled up the counterpane over herself and almost immediately began to roast in the heat coming off her body, feeling herself begin to sweat. Still, she refused to take the counterpane off, preferring to be overly warm as she could smell her own scent becoming sweeter and filled with a ripeness that was exhilarating.

 _Won't Harriet be surprised when I pop out and she can smell my heat?_ She giggled to herself and covered her head, knowing that her mate was perhaps walking up the stairs right at this moment. After all, they were creatures of habit—Lottie was nearly always in their room just a small time earlier than Harriet these days. Of course, she didn't count on the fact that she was snuggled down in the mire of her own sweat and she could suddenly feel the rush of the fog that surrounded her. It was difficult for her to remain stationary, the center of her between her legs pulsing with a sudden intense need while the rest of her tingled in want of an Alpha's touch.

 _Harriet. Hurry._ Still, an Omega was always an Omega, even in the throes of heat. When the door opened, her senses were locked onto the sound of the latch and she was overcome by a set of spontaneous giggles.

Harriet's voice was smooth, low, and sensual. “Oh dear. It seems that there is a lump in the perfect nest my mate so finely crafted...”

Her giggles were uncontrollable and she gave a tiny shriek when she felt Harriet's weight come over her through the blankets as she was grappled and squeezed by a possessive Alpha who was now also laughing. “Harriet!”she squeaked through her laughter. “Alpha!”

Her mate gave a playful roaring sound and found her through the quilts with her hands to tickle her silly, causing her to struggle and scream while still laughing in fitful cries. “Raaaah!” she roared again, mussing up the nest as she lifted Lottie within the blankets and rolled with her until they were all a jumbled mess together, tangled in the quilts while Lottie's heat scent was dispelled into the room and filled every small crevice with the potent fragrance of an Omega's lust.

As Harriet froze with the heavy scent, Lottie struggled upwards, the blanket falling away while the huge mass of her curls fell over her face. Lifting her hair with her hands and flipping it back over her head, she whipped to face Harriet where she lay on her back, stunned for the moment by the aroma that was so close and so fresh. “Harriet! Surprise!” She twisted in the mess of quilts and fell haphazardly over her wife's chest, causing a hard “ _oomf_ ” to be emitted from the shocked Beta. Within the tangle, Lottie found Harriet's waistcoat and began to unfasten it, managing to practically disrobe her wife with a stunning amount of speed until she'd bared the woman to the warmth of the room. She couldn't even stop to admire her breasts—she was far too _gone_ for such things.

“ _Uhn, Lottie!_ ” Harriet groaned while the Omega pressed the flat of her tongue against one dusky and sensitive nipple. Her hands were lost in the tresses of the girl's hair, her short fingernails gently scraping over Lottie's scalp which, of course, made Lottie moan loudly, her lips coming together to suck at her mate's breast. “ _Oh that's my good girl..._ ” Harriet groaned again. “I see we've been waiting for this, hmm? You've surely surprised me, little one.”

“Mmmgh,” Lottie replied, switching to Harriet's other breast to tease and nibble at her while her small hands fumbled with Harriet's belt and the fastenings of her trousers. When she had managed them, she released her mate and drew herself away in order to strip the woman of those pesky pants, flinging them away while Harriet fully removed the rest of her clothes and made to get up. “No!” Lottie told her sharply, putting out her finger and blinking away the fog that was, eventually, going to take hold of her completely. Harriet froze again before she was pushed downward, resting among the pillows and eying Lottie with an amused sort of curiosity. The Omega let loose a rather witchy cackle from the back of her throat before she kissed at her Beta's breasts again slowly, taking the moment to listen for the delicious hitching breaths she knew she could pull forth with her antics. She was going to drive this Beta to the same sort of screaming release the Lottie herself had, in these past days, often been subjected to.

“ _Omega...Omega...my Omega..._ ” Harriet whispered toward the ceiling. Lottie was working her way with soft kisses and nipping teeth down the Beta's tummy, taking care to dip a sensual tongue into her bellybutton as a tease before she moved to harshly mouth her inner thigh. “ _Lottie!_ _Oh!_ ” It wasn't enough for the Omega, she'd learned enough from the way Harriet touched her to know that whatever she did, despite feeling a little ridiculous, was never going to actually _seem_ ridiculous. That, she thought, was the best part of sex. Harriet would _never_ think her silly.

Bolstered by her thoughts, she sat up, gazing down between her mate's thighs to study the way her beautiful curls opened to reveal shining pink flesh, dewy with her arousal. Lottie quickly smoothed her hair back from her face to keep it from getting in the way before she delicately used her thumbs to spread open her lover and, without preamble, dipped her head down to take her into her mouth.

“ _Oh my god, Lottie,_ ” Harriet breathed in her reverie, her arms coming to rest over her head as she lounged, her legs spreading wider as Lottie explored her with her tongue. It was nice, Lottie thought, to have such a patient wife—and such a delicious one. She very much liked the scent of her mate and how the taste of her was enough to put a fire in her own blood that set her passion aflame.

She swept her tongue the way she remembered Harriet would to her and made certain to sweep until she found the hard little bit of her mate that, when brushed, made the muscles in her thighs tense. Lottie kissed at her lover and played with the small nubbin between her legs against her lips and her tongue. She sucked at the loose flesh of her and then went back to the top of her sex to tease her with gentle flicks. Experimentation was perhaps not in her best interests as she fell into a heat but still, she could not bring herself to quit, testing the moisture of her lover's body before she teased one small finger inside her tight passage, relishing the squeak she could elicit as she invaded. It was warm and it was different and she had certainly never put her fingers anywhere near the inside of anyone else and yet still she added another, taking cues from her memory bank to explore with both her fingers and her mouth until Harriet was sighing and moaning, her hands over her eyes and her breasts heaving.

The breathy groans her Beta emitted were enough to send slick dribbling from Lottie's overheated body and despite her wish that she could spent all of her day teasing and toying with her mouth to Harriet, she felt the wash of warmth chasing over her causing shudders and shakes. She couldn't last much longer without the full attention of her mate and so she rested her head upon Harriet's thigh and breathed heavily her arousal.

“ _Harriet...Alpha...mmmngh, I need..._ ”

There was a looming presence as her mate sat up and gently moved her, picking her up and laying her back into the pillows that were already warmed by her mate's body. Lottie immediately took to scenting those pillows, taking in the aroma of her pleased lover and content now to work herself into the state that she normally enjoyed when in Harriet's bed. She opened her thighs instinctively, peering up toward the woman who hovered over her and cooing softly her approval as the Beta moved between her legs. Her body pulsed with need. She wanted. She wanted to feel _full_ though she lamented that there was only so much that Harriet could do for her...

Shivers coursed through her and she felt her sweat rolling into beads on her flesh. Her mind was screaming at her to mate and to breed, to take a Alpha and hold them and squeeze them and take them inside her until they put pups inside her. From what Harriet had described to her, an Alpha sounded absolutely perfect. A presence that was big, intimidating, and powerful, that would work inside her and stretch her open.

“ _Ohhmmmgh, Harriet...I need...something..._ ”

Puzzlingly Harriet grinned down at her as she massaged her hands over Lottie's thighs and belly, calming her nerves a bit. “Don't you fret, little Lottie. I have everything you could ever need.”

“ _No..._ ” Lottie argued breathlessly. Harriet couldn't possibly... She swallowed her words when she felt the familiar reach of Harriet's fingers inside her, the two curling and searching digits utilizing the copious amounts of her slippery emissions to slide in and out of her, teasing against the place inside her that begged to be caressed in poignant tones of pleasure. “ _Harriet...I need more..._ ”

“Do you trust me, my Lady Lottie?”

“ _Y-Yes...always yes..._ ”

“Then do not doubt me. Trust that I am your Alpha and I will pleasure you far greater than you can imagine.”

Lottie raised her hands to her own hair, teasing her fingers into her curls and arching her back, her thighs spread wide and her breasts thrust high as she reveled in her mate's words and begged for touch. She was not disappointed. Her mate's fingers continued to tease and work at her, her thumb rubbing light circles over the center of her while her lips and mouth suckled and kissed at her small, pale breasts. Despite the call of her body to be filled, her senses tingled with stimulation and she mewled, tossing her head as each wave of pleasure caused her to shake with it, squeaking with each spasm that struck like a bolt of lightning within her. “ _Harriet!_ ” she cried. “ _Alpha! Alpha!_ ”

“That's right, darling, Alpha. I'm your Alpha.”

“ _My Alpha!_ ” As she squealed with her need, she felt a gentle tugging stretch between her legs and, without looking, she knew that her mate had slipped not just one but two more fingers inside her, working her open with the four of them until she was stopped by the width of her knuckles. The pull against tautness was shockingly arousing and Lottie shot her hand down between her thighs, gripping at Harriet's wrist.

“Have I hurt you little one?”

“ _No! No! More! Harriet!_ ”

“Shhhh, little one. I'll give you everything you need.”

Lottie was tugging at her wrist, urging her to press forward. When she did, the girl could have cried with relief, knowing that somehow she was to find fulfillment. Somehow she was going to have more. _More._ She writhed, begging with words she knew were unintelligible while her body tightened and loosened in soft contractions around Harriet's fingers as the woman steadily increased and decreased the pressure until, _finally_ , the bulk of her knuckles were able to slide past Lottie's stretched and grasping entrance. She could feel the invasion and the powerful rush of emotions that spilled over when she realized that her mate was _inside her_. It was profoundly intimate, the touch of her wife inside her and she pulled still, urging Harriet deeper until she was buried to her wrist, her arm twisting until the press of her thumb's knuckle was prominent against Lottie's sensitive inner wall.

“ _Alpha! Oh Alpha!_ ” She was so wet. So hungry in ways that she could not explain. Her body screamed for this, her whole form shuddering on the cusp of shattering.

Harriet's voice was deep and near to her, her breath puffing over her tightly beaded nipples as she spoke in a heavy, lustful tone. “ _Do you want a knot, little Omega? Would you like to come?_ ”

“ _Yes! Yes!_ ” she shrieked, her head tossing again and sending damp curls splaying out over the pillows. “ _Please! Knot me! Alpha! I want you! Harriet!_ ” Nearly as soon as she cried out, she felt a thickness inside her that pressed hard against the spot that riled her so. The pressure mounted so suddenly that the smallest jerk inside her was enough to send her spilling into her gripping climax, a scream from her throat rending the evening. Her whole form tensed and writhed and convulsed while she heaved out subsequent screams and moisture squirted over Harriet's arm, shoulder, and face. Harriet, not content quite yet, only allowed her a few seconds to catch her breath before she took to her with the other hand, swiping over the budding center of her as her fist quickly pushed back and forth inside her, driving her suddenly to a height even greater than the first. _“HARRIET! HARRIET!_ **_ALPHAAAA!!!_ ** _”_ There was certainly no doubt about what they were doing as her screams rattled the windows in their panes and her hands reached up to grasp at the headboard which rocked hard into the wall at every thrust of Harriet's fist. After this, the reprieve was even shorter and Harriet drove her _again_ to the brink of death with a numbing orgasm so intense that she reached behind her and, with all the remnants of her strength, lobbed a soft pillow straight into the Beta's face.

Her mate, laughing, left her fist tight inside her but ceased her movement, casting aside the pillow and gazing down sweetly upon her while she panted and regained the use of her faculties. Harriet was nearly soaked by Lottie's musky fluids which almost seemed to inexplicably burst from her in the throes of her passion. Fortunately, Harriet found it unimaginably arousing and she even licked her lips as she happily peered down at the girl. “Have you had enough, my love?”

“I am...” Lottie panted hard, “...going to die.”

“I certainly hope not,” Harriet told her, still amused. “After all, you've unfinished business with me.”

“That is right,” Lottie told her, nodding serenely. “You simply must put yourself right here to my face. I fear I cannot hold myself on my legs with how you've turned them to jelly.”

“But to do so I will have to take myself out of you.”

Lottie gave pause, looking down between her legs to find that the sight of her mate with her _entire hand_ to the wrist buried inside her was quite the arousing scene. “Oh...gracious and it does feel rather nice to have you there.”

“I imagine so. You were very vocal about it. I think you may have shattered some of the crystal downstairs.”

“If you can still hear me without a ringing in your ears then I have clearly done no such thing,” Lottie replied, taking shuddering breaths still to calm her fluttering heart. “Bring me my snack, Alpha, I wasn't finished with it.”

Harriet chuckled and slowly worked to remove herself from between Lottie's legs, her exit letting loose a significant gush of slick that had the girl blushing near to her toes. She shuffled over Lottie until the girl could take hold of her hips and she boldly peered down to watch as the Omega drew her to her mouth. “Mmm...Lottie, yes...that's my good girl.”

Lottie continued with her sensuous kisses and sweeps of her tongue, sucking now ruthlessly between her Alpha's thighs until she could hear the low and prurient groans of her mate, feeling the way Harriet's body twitched with every shock of pleasure that lanced through her. The Omega held her hips harder, keeping her against her mouth while she lapped and flicked and sucked, even through Harriet's breathless whispers of her name.

_Come for me, Alpha. Come for me. Let me show you how I unravel you..._

“ _L-Lottie..._ ” Harriet's mouth was open, her brows furrowed and her eyes closed as she focused hard upon the pleasure that made her muscles tighten and her hands grip hard upon the headboard. “ _Uhn! Omega! Uuuuhnn!_ ” One hand snaked down to bury in Lottie's hair, pulling pleasantly while Harriet gave one final wordless cry before lifting, her hand moving to cover herself as if to protect herself from any more of Lottie's errant tongue. “Oh...” she breathed. “Oh dear...mmm...I will have to...” she was shaking, “...to give to you again...but...gracious, Lottie. I can hardly stand too much.”

“Claims the woman who has only just tortured me to spend three times,” Lottie replied savagely. “I should do the same to you.”

“N-No. Not now, please. I am sensitive, you know.”

“One evening, it will not do to remind me,” Lottie warned her, catching her small grin.

Harriet moved off of her, sliding to the edge of the bed. “Tabby sent us the review of our performance. Should you like to know what it said?”

“I shouldn't.”

Harriet glanced at her with a little shock in her features. “No?”

“No. I know what it says anyhow. That you and I are perfect for each other.”

“And you already knew?” she asked, her grin returning.

“Of course I did.” She was tracing her collarbones with her hands again, unafraid of doing so. “I love you, silly.”

Her wife placed the clipping from the pocket of her trousers on the bedside table for later and then looked back to Lottie with a warm smile, responding just as Lottie knew she would. “And I love you, my little Lottie. Very much.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small hiatus. This story will have two more fluffy fluff domestic love chapters with bondmarking and sex and all the jazz that needed wrapping up. I just have to finish them!


	17. Chapter 17

The clipping ended up staying right where it had been put and Lottie, in the throes of her heat, remained completely uninterested in whatever was said of their brilliant performance. It was the performance within this very bed that took the bulk of her concern and energy—the girl having far too much of that if Harriet could say so. There was something to be said about the stamina of an Alpha for Harriet many times found herself quite overrun by the little sweet that clawed at her back and wrapped her legs around her hips.

Once having found the recipe for her pleasure, the Omega was practically insatiable, begging and panting and screaming to the heavens as her dulcet sweat soaked into the coverlets and the sheets and dampened her mane of curls. When she was, for a moment at the very least, sated, then she could be persuaded to dip herself into a heated bath and bring herself, freshened, to bed again where she would eat small morsels of sustenance and sip in large sips from the water glass provided to her. Then, the fog would descend over her again and it was as though Harriet looked upon a nymph who had possessed the tiny body of her mate and who pleaded rampantly for acts that she described without any hint of shame in the least.

And why should she? Harriet thought with a steady and shameless grin herself. The girl was wily and fierce and even sometimes violent in her need, clamoring over Harriet and bowling her over when she wished for something and wished for it to occur _right that moment._

Of course, sometimes the beast in Lottie was quelled if only for a few hours by the pull of Morpheus who insisted that her eyes close and she be lost to the gentle lapping waves in a sea of dreams. These were the moments that Harriet, pulled by the same steady power, cherished even as she drifted for she took those dear precious minutes and buried her nose deep against the milky throat of her mate and breathed...and breathed...and _breathed._

_A pinch of lavender sprouted and bloomed in a simple garden bed leaning upon unpainted fence and bolstered in its scent by a lovely, though understated, rosemary. Bees flitting over soft cool-colored petals, royal as they buzzed over purples and greens. Sweetened tea under whirling webs of steam held in reverie by a modest little teacup which sat upon a saucer bearing a near unnoticeable scar of a prior fracture. Lace doilies, sunhats, lazy afternoons and the purr of lethargic felines sprawled among the blossoms over sun-warmed stones. The tickle of pollen, the prick of a quickly retracted claw, and the slightest nudge of a bumbling honeybee on its way back to the hive._

This was what enthralled Harriet. This was what kept her from dropping immediately into a lathering foam of dreams—she knew then what an _Alpha_ knew when they scented their mate. She knew what happiness smelled like. She could see Lottie _there_ in her mind as clear as day wearing a simple little straw sunhat and lounging in some white or light pink gown which flowed to the stone garden path with a froth of lace. The bodice dipped to bare just a hint of her small breasts and Harriet would come to her and read to her and act monologues for her as an audience of one. She could think of naught else but how brilliant it would be to love her so and to have her dark eyes rapt upon a performance tailored only to her and her alone.

Harriet smiled against her mate's throat and kissed her there with a perfect vow. Upon next waking...upon next orgasm—Lottie's neck would bear her mark.

When she came-to again, there was sun filtering in through the curtains and Lottie's brow was shining still with the evidence of her heat. Her hair was _everywhere_ , cast over the sheets and the pillows again splayed about her head in a huge array of curls which bounced and slithered and kissed Harriet's naked flesh unknowingly. Harriet, of course, peered over the cloud of curls at the beauty of her Juliet among them and bestowed upon that shining brow a delicate peck of the lips to wake her.

With Lottie's awakening, of a matter of course came the wakening of her lust and nearly immediately Harriet found herself with the nymph in her arms and pink lips over hers, a mad scramble of sexual urge that found Lottie's thighs around one of Harriet's. Her fervent rubbings were only the beginning and as she approached her stuttering peak, the Beta halted her by flipping her over upon her back and taking to her with nimble fingers as the girl clutched her and screamed in her want and her chagrin at having been interrupted. She had woken without words and still could not manage them and it was this moment that the Beta knew without question was the moment that she would take a bite and take it readily and have the rest of the morning to be soothed and comforted and pleasured beyond measure.

Lottie convulsed, her breath caught in her throat as the waves of her climax crashed into her body and Harriet stole the moment, moving in such a manner as a predator who seeks to cast the final blow upon their prey. She sank her teeth into Lottie's throat, threading her fingers into the girl's hair to hold her still and nearly crushing her as she screamed with her pain and pleasure combined, her body exploding into a fountain of Omega sweetness. As soon as it was done, it was over, Lottie melting into a liquid honey in the Beta's arms, fit to be stirred right into that English tea in a purple garden. Harriet, of course, began to lick at the wound, each droplet of copper blood on her tongue reminding her that it was a pain most pleasureful and that this was what the girl had certainly wanted and what she had asked for. They were mates, after all. They were _married,_ after all. It was only right that an Alpha should lay claim to her Omega.

“Mmm,” Harriet cooed, “...my Omega.”

“Oh yes...” she replied in a soft, sing-song voice that seemed far away as though she spoke from a realm outside of reality. “I am yours.”

“Sleep, little one. I will be with you.”

“Alright...” she sighed. “Alright...”

And she was off again and Harriet was left, taking more deep breaths of her and admiring the mark she had made. Currently an angry red wound, it would seal itself into the most beautiful of bondmarks—hers. As long as she had lived...as long as she had known of her rather dual nature, it had seemed impossible for her to imagine herself claiming an Omega. And yet here she was, with a girl who had wished for it. Who had begged for it. Who would have demanded it.

She dozed then, with her nose in the swoop of the girl's neck, lost on sun-warmed stones and feeling quite like purring.

The rest of Lottie's heat was much the same and upon the day that it had faded, Harriet was happily feeding her Omega bits of fruit from a platter while she chittered away about all the things she would like to do now that they were bonded and there was nothing more to fret about.

“I should like to take a ride, I think. Or maybe just a walk around the garden. Would that not be sweet? I should like to see how the little robins are doing in the bush around the bend.”

“With all the cats we're likely to have around here eventually, they won't be doing very well at all.” Harriet smiled though it was rather grave.

“Oh dear, you might be right. But at current we still only have one so they must be doing alright. The little kitten we have now could not have eaten them already.”

“Not with Viv constantly at him to pet him, of course not. I hope you don't mind his hair in every meal you eat from now on.” She laid back against the plush pillows, propped up on the headboard. Lottie was looking at her with a curiously warm expression, her deep brown eyes sparkling with something unknowable.

“What?”

“You.”

“What about me?”

She turned about, glorious in her nakedness. “You're so handsome.”

“You're gorgeous,” she replied, enjoying the way her dark locks bounced over her small breasts and how her flat little tummy softened a bit before the triangle of matching curls between her thighs. “The perfect example of a woman and Omega.”

“I cannot be the perfect example of a woman...perhaps an Omega. But you and I are both women and the way I see it, _you_ are quite clearly the more perfect example.”

“I will not stand for this flattery,” she replied neatly. “Blasphemy most sordid. You'll require a spanking.”

“Do some Alphas spank their Omegas when they are cheeky?” Lottie asked, unmoving. “I wonder if some have it the other way 'round?”

“If you wish for me to be distracted, perhaps another tack, my Lady.”

“A bath then. And after perhaps you can brush my hair.”

Harriet found both of those suggestions acceptable and took care in aiding the little Omega with the two of them, judiciously bathing her while also peppering her with sweet kisses that had her giggling in fits. When her hair was thickly braided and coiled about her head in a crown, Lottie dressed in a simple muslin gown and, when Harriet was put-together, put her hand in the crook of the Beta's arm.

They were outside and enjoying the cool breeze before Vivian found them together arm-in-arm in the manner that they were clearly born to be. Harriet was in a shirt and a waistcoat without a cravat, her shirt unbuttoned at the top and her scent still uniquely mild and just her own. Lottie was bouncing from rock to rock between the flowers of the garden, her hand never leaving Harriet's arm, even if she was only gripping the fabric of her sleeve with two fingers.

Viv marveled. “Harriet, do you think it wise to be cavorting about without your scent? You do know that the little servants here chat under the stairs...”

“No one's even cared to come close to us, Viv, save yourself. Aside, I think I have the most daring lioness here to puncture any who might dare. I've only just bathed as well...how potent could they expect me to be?”

“Just out of rut, my dear?” Viv asked sardonically. “I'd say you could be quite potent indeed. You two are just in time for a meal, you know. I was wondering if the little one would be happy to munch on some traditional bits of food rather than the piecemeal she enjoys during her heat.”

That aforementioned little one turned as she hummed, one stray curl falling loose near her ear and about giving Harriet a conniption for how dazzlingly beautiful it made her. Her free hand curled up toward her shoulder and gave a few lazy back-and-forths while she decided. “Oh yes. I suppose I could eat something. I am rather in the mood for some calf's foot jelly.”

Viv was visibly preening. “I knew you'd say that, my Lady. You're always in the mood for some jelly once you've recovered. I whipped some up this mornin'!”

Harriet scoffed. “Here to gloat then, are you?”

“Of course I am. I'll have it for you right away, my Lady. Harriet, I should also tell you that you've gotten a missive. You'll be getting a visitor or two this evening and we've already taken care to prepare some rooms.”

She frowned and moved fluidly to catch Lottie when her foot slipped from one of the garden rocks and she slid not to the ground but into Harriet's arms. Holding up her light and giggling wife, Harriet addressed Viv again, still on target. “Who would be visiting us?”

“Mr. Thorne, I believe. But the missive is from your little friend Thurston.”

“Do you have it?”

She produced it and slid it into Harriet's free hand which was not holding Lottie who squirmed in her grip.

“Well I'll be damned.”

Lottie snaked her arms around Harriet's neck. “Thurston is coming? That's grand! I've missed him, you know. He was such a delight at the wedding.”

“He scandalized the room at least three times.”

“And I committed far more heinous crimes,” the Omega replied humorously. “And Mr. Thorne is coming as well? What an interesting pair they make. How fresh and new everything must be for them.”

Harriet stood up straight, staring at the girl in her arms. “What? Now that I've bitten you, the two of us are old and dusty married people? Is that how you see us? If that's the case then I shall have to shake off some of this dust when we're back upstairs, won't I?” In fact, that was just what she did. After Lottie was finished with her small bowl of jelly, Harriet marched her up the stairs and, before putting on her scent, she made certain that Lottie was shrieking yet again to the ceiling, sweating almost as though she had fallen again back into a heat.

By the time they were up and dressed again, Thurston was lounging in the parlor with a glass of gin in his hand while Buck Thorne was standing close to the window, his hands clasped behind his back and his posture straight. His scent was a tad nervous, if Harriet noted correctly and she bade him to sit though he did refuse.

Thurston rose when Lottie entered and gave her a polite bow to which she responded with her curtsy. “Well, it's good to see the two of you doing so well. I hope there's been no trouble at all since you knocked the hell out of your pursuer, my Lady. I didn't have a chance at the wedding to tell you how much I relished hearing that tale.”

Lottie tapped from one foot to the other. “I daresay, I was rather devious in my employ of my typical response.”

“Devious must be your middle name.”

Harriet interjected. “It is. To what do I owe this honor, Thurston? Thorne? Is something the matter, Alpha? You smell like you're about to deliver some bad news.”

Thurston flopped himself back down in his seat, sipping his gin. “No bad news, Rhet, just a man who's got his underthings all tied up.”

Thorne passed him a soft glare and then took a steeling breath. “Well, Reed...as much as I hate to admit it, I do...respect you.”

“Color me impressed at this turn-around,” Harriet grinned.

“You've been, for a long time, Thurston's ruling Alpha...and...” He seemed to get stuck, his hand coming up to his chin, his fingers tapping over it while he thought of his words. “...and I...would like to...ask your _permission..._ ”

“Permission?” Harriet leaned forward, passing her eyes between Thorne—who was having what looked to be some kind of episode—and Thurston—who appeared to be having the time of his life. “Are you asking what I think you're asking?”

“I'd like to...marry him.”

“Well what in the blazes do you need _my_ permission for?”

Lottie stood up, clapping her hands together rapidly and drawing all attention while that one infuriating little curl bounced up and down at her ear. “Oh, oh, oh! How exciting! Was this a whirlwind sort of romance? How on earth did it happen? I knew you two were cozy at the wedding but gracious, I couldn't keep track of both of you the whole of the night and goodness, this is _wonderful!_ Harriet, you do have to say yes to them, don't you? Why wouldn't you? Oh that's right, Mr. Thorne!” Her brows furrowed. “But he's clearly not a vile sort of Alpha, just look how content Thurston is right now! He's clearly here with him and not even against his will. Please, Harriet, you must say yes. You must!”

Harriet put her hands out toward Lottie who was nearly writhing in one spot with her excitement, practically vibrating with how quickly she moved. “Dearest, please calm yourself. These two certainly do not need _my_ permission. Thurston is very much capable of deciding for himself who he should wish to marry.”

Thorne sighed. “I apologize but I've come from a rather... _traditional_ background. It is customary to ask.”

“Then I will go so far as to give my blessing, such as it is and only because I know that Thurston would never forgive me if I didn't. Mr. Thorne, know that if you break his heart, I'll make certain that if Thurston hasn't killed you, you meet a hideous fate worthy of your crime.”

He nodded severely and swallowed audibly. “Of course, Alpha.”

She could smell Lottie's contented and loving scent again. _Sun-warmed stones. Gentle purrs. Lavender and rosemary. A sweet honey bee tumbling into things and righting itself as it traveled among the blossoms._ At least, she thought, she could be certain that she had done the right thing. “Well. With that settled, then I suppose you two are formally engaged. Perhaps some champagne then and a fine supper.”

“A good night to celebrate for both of us then,” Thorne smiled. “I for a fiance and you for having finally marked your beautiful mate. It is a handsome mark, Reed. Congratulations.”

She gave him a rare and genuine smile, surprised at this new and welcome side of him. “Well thank you, Alpha. I did my best for certain. And congratulations to you as well, for not having been _already_ run through by this little one's wit...or his rapier.”

“Believe me,” Thorne replied, his eyes widening in memory, “I think I have come dangerously close once or twice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff. Fluff. Fluff. It's all fluff.


	18. Chapter 18

“Aren't they just so very sweet?” Lottie asked Harriet while she lay on a blanket that had been spread out on the grass. It was a clear night and only a little chilly so she had wrapped herself in a soft quilt and laid down with her mate to stare up at the brilliant twinkling stars above them.

“Hmm?”

Lottie turned over onto her elbows to prop herself up so that she might look at her. “Thurston and Mr. Thorne! Aren't they just sweet?” There was a lamp not so far from them on the terrace and it lit Harriet's face so far as to reveal her mildly incredulous expression. “I know you dislike Mr. Thorne quite a bit even still but Thurston can take care of him. They're both rather ornery if I do say so.”

“Rather ornery indeed,” Harriet replied with a good-natured grumble.

Lottie hummed to herself before she decided something and pulled herself up, gripping onto her mate and shamelessly dipping her nose against the woman's throat.

Harriet laughed. “What in the world are you doing, little one?”

“It is my house,” she responded, “and I shall do what I like in it. I like to scent you...you smell very good.” Very good was one way to put it, she thought to herself. She was glad that Harriet was not an Alpha—Alphas were too strong in their scents and though her mate couldn't always have her own scent first and foremost, tonight was a night that she did and Lottie was going to take advantage of it every time she could have it. There had been, already, the rule of bath before bed—nobody wanted a false scent stinking up the sheets...that is, until they were to be washed.

Lottie took a deep breath in, adoring that mild scent that was, to her, as bright as the stars in her senses. _The heady taste of red cherry wine and the sticky tannins that stuck to her tongue. The crispness of a chilly autumn dawn and the gentle, subtle spice of fallen leaves under a shine of morning rain. The honking of flocks of geese overhead and the twitter of songbirds where they hid in small places along the stone walls in the fields. Softness and pleasure and warmth and that gentle autumn sunrise that turned the sky orange and red and promised thunderstorms later in the afternoon._

“Mmm, Lottie...your hair is tickling me.”

She grinned against Harriet's flesh, slowly bestowing upon her, kisses and nibbles that transformed her Beta scent in the most subtle of ways to betray a blooming emotion that Lottie could now recognize easily—arousal.

“Lottie...not here...” she chuckled low in her throat, clearly amused. “Aunt Viv is coming, for your dignity, my love I must put space between us...” She rolled the girl back unto the blanket and tried to straighten the quilt that had become tangled between them.

The Omega was giggling, laying back and unable to control the force of her laughter as Miss Cambry came into her vision upside-down, staring at her with a large smile.

“I see we're having a good night tonight, my Lady. I've brought you both some sherry though it seems like you may not need it for how much mirth has already welled up from that never-ending spring inside you.”

She giggled so hard that she gave a rather unladylike snort and then she sat up, pushing stray curls that had escaped her pins behind her ears. “For such a long time, I had thought myself incapable of such happiness, Miss Cambry...and now thanks to you, I've got it again.” She blew out a breath, wiping at her eyes which had gained some small tears in her laughter. “My mother and father...when they passed...it was as though there could be nothing as such anymore but now? I know now that a moment of joy cannot dishonor the grief that I felt for them.”

“Quite the contrary, little one, a lifetime of joy will only serve to honor them more,” Miss Cambry explained. “Having known your parents for as long as I did, they would not rest well should they know that you were not the happiest you could possibly be. They would have been proud to have an honorable Alpha like Harriet with you.”

Lottie smiled wide, her heart flooding with warm emotion as she twisted her head to find her mate also smiling a bit sheepishly. “I'm saddened that they could not meet you, Harriet...they would have loved you.”

The Beta reached out for her face and touched her sweetly upon her cheek. “We will honor them then...by being as happy as we can possibly be.”

Lottie thought for a moment, looking down at Harriet's shining eyes. “Alpha...do you think...perhaps...one day...” Her voice was caught in her throat for a moment.

“What is it, darling?”

“Well...you know how...sometimes when someone has...uhm...”

Miss Cambry was pouring some of the sherry, handing one to Harriet and then another to Lottie before she poured her own and sat down on the edge of their blanket. “Dearest, if you're having trouble saying it, it must be important. Take a sip of this and just out with it.”

Lottie did so, familiar with the taste but still wincing as she swallowed. “I suppose what I'm asking is whether or not you'd like to take in...um...one of those little ones that are born of well...questionable couplings. You know...those who seem to often go to the country homes of good farmers and their wives...”

Miss Cambry was staring at her. “Gracious, Harriet, I think she's asking you if you'd like a pup.”

Lottie took in a breath. “I am. Eventually. Perhaps when there is one available...”

Harriet choked on her sherry, coughing a bit and clearing her throat a few times before she could reply. “Mmmhrm...hrrrmmm...” After a few breaths and some sputtering, the Beta seemed capable to respond. “You mean to ask me if I'll play sire to some bloke's bastard.”

The Omega nodded plainly. “Yes. Imagine it...a little pup for you and I...”

Harriet glanced over at Miss Cambry, as if sharing something with her that was communicated in ways Lottie couldn't begin to understand before she returned her eyes to Lottie's face. “Well, darling...yes. If that's what you wanted, I would gladly have a pup with you. Such things should be handled...delicately, you understand.”

“Oh I understand.” She did. Or at the very least, she thought she did. Of course, since nobody outside the family would ever know that Harriet was not an Alpha—they had to be quite sneaky indeed. Especially if they wished for anyone to believe that the child was _hers._ “No doubt there will be someone in need...”

Harriet touched her again on her face and tingles in her palms spread to her arms. She couldn't help but to wriggle a little bit, happy and contented while the stars twinkled overhead and her Romeo sat beside her, complicit, at the very least, in her schemes. “Lady Lottie, I would move heaven and Earth to make you happy...whatever that means. Should you like a pup, I will find one.”

She eased closer to her mate, sighing as she felt one warm arm come around her and squeeze her. All of her latent anxieties seemed to wash away and she melted into Harriet's embrace. The vastness of the sky above them was open and it seemed as though their future were limitless, the possibilities for them endless and beautiful. The blanket of stars and the whole of infinity covered Lottie's soul in with a comfort she didn't truly understand but she appreciated nonetheless.

“I love you, Lottie,” Harriet murmured near to her ear, her warm breath tickling over the shell of it and causing goosebumps to rise over her body.

“I love _you_ , Alpha.”

Miss Cambry sniffed. “Ah...newlyweds.”

“Do you think,” Lottie asked suddenly, staring into Harriet's eyes, “that Mr. Thorne and Thurston will be much like us when they marry? It is hard for me to imagine Thurston being as hopelessly in love as I am with you...”

Harriet smiled. “Thurston merely has a different way of showing how in love he is...really the boy has a manner to him that is most unusual. He's...difficult to read.”

“Even for people who are not so terrible at it like myself?”

“Even so.”

“I think I knew that,” Lottie mused to herself. “Maybe I did. Maybe I just thought I knew it.”

Harriet laid down, pulling the girl down over her so that her head lay upon the Beta's chest. “You are a silly Omega. But you're my silly Omega. I'm sorry that I couldn't have met your parents...though I doubt very much that they would be as enamored of me as you believe they would have been. After all, you are a lady...and I am...well...an actor.”

She raised herself up in her mate's embrace and then looked up at Miss Cambry who was staring up at the stars while sipping her second glass of sherry. “Miss Cambry...tell Harriet how wonderful my mother was.”

“A true saint, that woman,” Miss Cambry replied. “I doubt she would have denied our little Lottie anything she really desired. It was her father you likely would have had to contend with...but once he knew your character, he would have agreed that you would suit. I would not have introduced you had I thought that you would not be a fine match. And I would not dishonor Lottie's parents by encouraging a match that was in any way detrimental to her.” She huffed and fluffed out her skirts as though Harriet had offended her. “Though I think never having a grandchild would have been cause for some small unhappiness from her ladyship...”

Lottie snuggled down into Harriet's chest, pulling the quilt up around her tightly. “Do you think I would be a decent mother?”

The Beta snorted. “Lottie, you would be the most doting mother. I do not think that I would ever have to worry that we were too harsh upon any child of ours...they would be spoiled with tea and honey and fairy tales. I should have to hire the strictest governess in all of England to counter the way you might treat our pup.”

“I think I would like the opportunity.”

Miss Cambry gave a little sigh. “I suppose you'll need help in acquiring one. No doubt we could find a poor little one who's unwanted...God knows, they do happen once in a while. That is...unless you wanted one that was...yours...”

Harriet growled low in her throat and her arms became stronger around Lottie's small body. “No Alpha save me will touch my Lottie. Not even for a damned pup.” Her scent was spiced and littered with glimmers of something that reminded Lottie of broken pottery shards when she sat up and took the girl with her, making to stand.

“Harriet,” Miss Cambry tried, “no need, of course...”

“That is right,” Harriet grumbled, bundling Lottie up into her arms as she stood. “No need!”

Lottie was giggling halfway down the hall from their room, wriggling in Harriet's grip. “Alpha, you are a silly one. Why are we going to bed? I'd thought we were having a grand time watching the stars!” Of course this must have been something to do with whatever Miss Cambry had said about the pups but Lottie wasn't sure what. She didn't wish to be touched by any other Alpha and since she didn't wish it, it would never happen—was this what Harriet was upset about? The thought that some other Alpha might touch her? Might be brought in to make her with child? The idea was preposterous. “Alpha, you've no reason to be worried.”

“I'm not worried. I'm merely... Well it's got my... You see, Lottie...” She struggled for her words while she held the girl poised over the bed and then sighed, releasing her into a giggling mass of rumpled quilt onto the counterpane.

Lottie ignored her stammering and crawled like a simple garden slug over the bed until she could grasp at the folded paper that had sat upon the night table for these past few days. She unfolded the fragile bit of it and set to reading it aloud. “Rhet's performance was, predictably, inspired and provocative but the leading Alpha cannot hope to bear the weight of every performance upon their shoulders as their leading lady is often the true focal point of the narrative and the production. Juliet was—”

“ _Astounding,_ ” Harriet continued for her, having obviously memorized the scrap. “The Omega Juliet was a heretofore unknown...though that is, upon the acting stage. Lady Ottilie Wilkerson is a natural—a rare talent that we may never see again upon a stage should the rumors be true that such a performance was merely a lark.”

Lottie was grinning. “This critic is hoping that somehow the little Lady Ottilie will find it in her heart to grace us again with her stunning presence and perhaps play across from her Romeo yet again for the chemistry between them was, in a word: _explosive._ ”

“Mmm,” Harriet smiled behind her, beginning to take off her clothes so that they might go to bed together. “I do like hearing that from your lips. Since our performance was so impromptu, there was but one actual critic there. The rest is hearsay, you understand. At the very least, that one liked you. He should, anyway, I've met him and he's a darling Beta man. I wouldn't wish for any other critic to have seen you if there had to be just one.”

“Of course you like him,” Lottie grinned over her shoulder, “He was kind to me.”

“All of them would have been.”

“I shall have to meet him one day. If only to take issue with his words.”

Harriet popped a brow. “Take issue? What is the issue that you might take? He was quite generous with his review and no doubt there are theaters that would send you letters to have you play as their Juliet after seeing that.”

“I care not for what he thinks of how I played Juliet. After all, I only played her because she _was me_. I was as hopelessly in love with you as Juliet was with Romeo. It is only natural to be able to play as someone who has the same mind as you have. Not only this but I will take issue with the man neglecting to write anything about how delicious you are.”

Harriet scoffed. “That is not what critics do, little one.” She was removing her belt, sliding it away until she could unfasten her trousers and let them fall to the floor in a heap. When she was naked, she crawled onto the bed near to Lottie and pulled at the girl until she had her under her so that she might undo the row of buttons on her gown. “Critics chat about how beautiful leading ladies are sometimes but they do not chat about how handsome the Alphas are.”

“I think, perhaps, we should have a critic who is an Omega...who might talk about things that are interesting to Omegas.”

“That would be a decent change of pace...but who would take them seriously?”

“Oh I would. I daresay I should take them quite seriously indeed should they write about how perfect and wonderful you are. Hmm...perhaps that will be my next adventure...”

Harriet opened her gown finally and moved to pull it off of her, then working to remove her chemise and her drawers, leaving her deliciously naked save some pins in her hair. “What is that, my darling? What is your next adventure?”

She closed her eyes, imagining the inside of a grand theater. It was grand and cathedral-like in her mind, the ceiling rising to an impossible height and the seats around them upholstered in red velvet while the limelight filled the stage with brilliance and the actors and dancers moved over the shining surface. Her voice felt like it came from far away from her. “I will be the first Omega critic. I will sit right in the very front row and I will have the best of views. I will look at how handsome all of the Alphas and Betas are...I will look at how wonderful the Omegas act. I will see everything the way that it was meant to be seen and I will scribble down notes at the end of what I liked and what I didn't like and then when I am finished, I will throw out all the notes about what I didn't like...”

“How will you be a decent critic if you throw out all your criticism?” There was a chuckle in her soft voice.

Lottie opened her eyes again to find her mate hovering over her, warm and steady. “Oh Alpha...one does not have to say what they did not like...the actors will improve no matter what...so will the directors...they merely have to continue doing. Should any of my words ever make an actor or a director so upset that they leave the productions to someone else—well then I am not a very good critic...I would seek to encourage.”

“You liked hearing kind things about your Juliet...”

“I think everyone likes to hear kind things. To be paid to write something kind...well...that would be the most decent of professions, would it not?”

“You are a lady. You're not supposed to have a profession.”

She smiled wide. “I will be anonymous.”

“Oh Lottie...I do love you.”

The Omega reached upward and brought Harriet's face down for a sweet and searing kiss, the feel of her Alpha's mouth over hers bolstering every tremor of warmth that shivered through her body. At the last, when they touched at full length, Lottie sighed. She was content and there was nothing in the world that could make her feel any more safe or cherished. “And I love you, my Alpha, my Harriet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! These two are just the most adorable dorks ever! Thank you to GooseberryPicker for coming up with these gorgeous creatures and for choosing me as partner to tell their stories!
> 
> I'll be finishing up Enough for the Dawn and then this summer will be another Sapphic Story with an A/B/O, F/F/F triad! I'm excited. To keep in touch, make sure to check out my Twitter: @actualadultJD

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Society Pretences](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19272532) by [GooseberryPicker](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GooseberryPicker/pseuds/GooseberryPicker)




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